Flowers Growing In My Mind
by JadeCrescent Fallen
Summary: A year after the events of Advent Children, Cloud cannot take reality. So, he opts to go to a fantasy world where he can be with his long lost lover once again, not worrying about the cruel real world. CloudxAeris
1. Rain, Carrier of Memories

**Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII.  
****Slight AU warning.  
****Don't forget to review when you are finished reading!**

**XXX**

**Flowers Growing In My Mind**

_**Chapter I – Rain, Carrier of Memories**_

It was raining. Grey clouds covered the skies over Edge, with lightning forking beautiful patterns in between the clouds. However, people continued walking casually down the street, with the occasional automobile humming down the road, splashing the sidewalks. Edge was a very cleanly city after the Geostigma pandemic of a year ago. No one knew what caused it, all they knew was it was cured by rain. In place of the Meteor monument was a statue of a beautiful woman, with rain falling all around her. She had a long dress and a ribbon in her wavy hair. Her fingers were intertwined in prayer. Shin-Ra had erected this monument with the help of a few people who were directly involved with the capture of the three silver-haired men that kidnapped all the Geostigma-infested children. Perhaps this was their vision of a water goddess of some sort. Now, people never left the rain. To them, rain was a form of healing. It washed away their sins and their disease. However, to some people, the rain didn't do anything but make you think. It was like a memory was sealed inside each raindrop, and every time one fell, the seal would burst open and release what was inside. It always made _him_ remember, at least.

A delicious smell wafted from the kitchen of the large bar teeming with people, eating and waiting for their midday meal; some on work breaks, some regulars, some just hungry and tired of cooking. Orders were being thrown in a pattern; to the waiters, to the bar hostess, to the two cooks, back to the hostess. The hostess, although almost always much too busy, was still a sweet and attractive woman, with long dark brown hair and ruby red eyes. Her outfit was mainly black, with a pink ribbon tied to her arm. Customers noticed that her friends, who came in every now and then, also wore ribbons somewhere. 7th Heaven was famous for strange, yet friendly customers, which made it an interesting place to eat at. Plus, the food was extravagant, all recipes created by the owner and hostess, Tifa Lockhart.

"One seafood salad with croutons!" Tifa yelled into the kitchen. She looked at the drink order, and began to get out the appropriate bottles and glasses. "Vodka and white wine? Combined? What are these people thinking?" Tifa wondered to herself. She chuckled and began to mix the drink. She checked the clock. 1:30pm. 7th Heaven's busiest hour. She was waiting for her friend, who she was going to meet with at 4:00pm, after the bar closed. The rain pounded hard on the windows, rivulets forming on the glass. She placed the drink on the counter and took the bowl of salad from the chef. "Number 12!" she called, placing the bowl next to the drink. The man approached the counter, and Tifa recognized him immediately. "Reeve!" she said in surprise. The handsome man smiled at her and took the salad. "I was going to ask how you were doing, but it seems that you are well," he said. Tifa nodded. "I'm good, very good actually. I haven't seen you in a week! How's the restoration going?" she asked. It had always been odd, speaking with Reeve. She had known him for almost a year as a stuffed toy named Cait Sith, who had always been a comical little guy. Seeing him in the flesh was so...strange. He ate the salad slowly, licking a bit of dressing from his well-trimmed goatee. Tifa giggled. "Oh, it's not that amusing," he said in his deep, sexy voice. Another thing that was odd about him – Cait Sith had a goofy voice with a Scottish accent, which sharply contrasted with Reeve. Even though she had contact with Reeve for two years, it still amazed her. "The restoration is actually breezing along. We're onto Sector 5 already. Mind you, we had to skip Sectors 3 and 4 temporarily, but everything's going well. We're onto the playground. We want to expand it, and make it into a sort of park," said Reeve, sipping his heavy drink. Tifa was handed another order. "Strawberry bundt cake, hold the chocolate sauce!" she called, sticking the order note onto the holder so the cooks could read them. "A park? That sounds wonderful! Be sure to add some food carts," she said. A raindrop hit the window and she suddenly remembered. "Oh! What about the church?" she asked. "It's being reconstructed, don't worry. It's actually a beautiful thing—the pool of water is still there, shining as clear as ever. And the flowers have regrown, surrounding the pool. It's magnificent," he said. Tifa smiled. "She's never going to let those things die," she said, poking the tip of his nose, "just you remember that. So don't damage anything!" She heard a crash in the kitchen. "Oh great...I'll be a sec," she said, running into the kitchen to see what had taken place

Reeve chuckled and continued eating as Tifa ran off, the long back of her overskirt lifting up as she ran. The twenty-three year old woman was in good shape, and was running a successful business. He knew he shouldn't worry about her, but he was a man who was prone to worrying. After the events of Meteor three years ago, she seemed to take on a new personality, or...at least...she tried to. Reeve knew exactly who it was she was attempting to act like. Despite this, she was never successful. He admired her ability to try, however. He took a large drink of his vodka and wine mixture. He had the metabolism equivalent to a squirrel on stimulants. He never worried about getting drunk. He smiled when she returned. Perhaps he could give her pleasurable company until her bar closed. It was his day off, anyway.

XxXxXx

"Always with the ants! They never approach other baskets; only us!" Aeris Gainsborough said in an irritated tone. She swatted them away, and froze a few with the Ice spell. She tucked some of her pink dress underneath her knees in order to prevent her knees from getting grass stains. She flicked an ant off of her sweet roll. "Perhaps they're attracted to your spiritual aura," said Cloud Strife, poking at his bento. "If they were, there wouldn't only be ants approaching," Aeris said with a sigh. Cloud closed his eyes. It didn't matter if ants were covering their picnic. He was here with Aeris, on the top of a simple hill, gazing down at the scenery below. Aeris sipped her tea, first checking to see if any ants were in it. "Well, at least the spot is gorgeous. I can always count on you to pick the best place!" she said with a giggle. Cloud chuckled and looked into her deep, alluring jade eyes. He felt a tickling sensation on his arm and he looked down to see an ant crawling around his skin. He flicked the ant off and began inspecting his arm for bites. "Cloud?" he heard Aeris ask across from him. "Yeah?" he asked, still looking for a bite. "Cloud..." she repeated. Cloud looked up at her, about to reply, when his eyes widened and his heart began to beat faster. He broke into a cold sweat.

Aeris was staring at him, with eyes like a snake's or a cat's. It was horrible...Cloud suddenly remembered Sephiroth, Kadaj, Yazoo, Loz. She grinned, looking like a female Sephiroth. "Why did you let me die?" she asked. "What are you...doing?" he asked, barely taking in anything. Suddenly the hill and the picnic disappeared, leaving him a black realm. Aeris disappeared, and then reappeared again, behind him. He turned around just in time to see Sephiroth thrust his long, powerful blade through Aeris' back. Her eyes widened, and she fell forward, the blade still inside her. Cloud's mind started to act on fast forward. He began to shake. This happened before...three years ago...she was killed. Killed. _Murdered._ He could hear his voice whispering in his ear. She was dead. She had been killed. She was dead. Dead. Dead. _Dead._ Sephiroth smirked at him as he withdrew the blade, causing Aeris to jerk upright, and then fall. Cloud didn't prevent her from hitting the dark floor. He was too busy shaking, tears coming out of his eyes. "Cloud...you let her die...you killed her. You let me kill her," Sephiroth said in a mocking tone. "Help me, Cloud..." croaked Aeris. He looked up and stared at her. Her hand was reaching towards him. "Help me...don't let me die..."

Cloud woke up sobbing, practically unaware of anything around him.

Needless to say, Tifa never did get to meet with him.

XxXxXx

It sounds a bit like a one-shot, huh? But it's not, don't worry. I know Dirge of Cerberus' plot should be happening right now, but I'm omitting that from the story, so it's slightly AU. I guess it sounded like Reeve and Tifa were hitting it off...no, sorry, no romance between them. Reeve is pretty hot though, huh? Oh, and for those wondering about the statue, yes it is who you think it is. Anyway, review if you will! Don't worry, all the party members we know and love will arrive sooner or later. Yes, I know Cloud should finally have accepted Aeris' death, but this is a fanfiction. So...he's still a poor miserable bastard. I'm cruel. Any criticism? Feel free to point out things I'm doing wrong grammatically or any crucial points I missed, I'll try to fix them. I do not tolerate flaming/bashing on any character. I would like clean, constructive comments. Thanks for reading, see you next chapter!


	2. Denied

**Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII.  
****Slight AU warning.  
****Don't forget to review when you are finished reading!**

**XXX**

**Flowers Growing In My Mind**

**_Chapter II – Denied_**

Tifa came up to the simple, white door leading into Cloud's apartment. He had left Aeris' church not too long after the Geostigma pandemic ended. She had offered one of the spare bedrooms above 7th Heaven as a place for Cloud to stay, as it was close to his work and free. Cloud declined, saying he was going to go for a house of his own. He found a comfortable apartment not too far from the bar. The apartments were small, perfect for a single person. It was nearly 7pm, three hours from the time Cloud was supposed to come to the bar. She waited an hour, and then wondered if he forgot. She called him, only to get no answer. She had to feed Marlene and Denzel by that point, so she left a little late. Her hand curled into a fist and she knocked on the door, hesitating for a moment before letting her knuckles do the talking.

She could hear the sound of a lock opening, and the door creaked open. Cloud was peeking through the crack, looking tired. Tifa smiled at him. "Hey there, sleepyhead!" she said playfully, "you forgot our meeting. Or did you just sleep through it?" Cloud didn't answer; he merely opened the door wider to allow her entrance. She walked through the frame, looking around his home. Not too neat, but not completely messy either. "So, which is it?" she asked, turning to look at him. Her eyes widened slightly. His face was pale and clammy. His eyes were slightly reddened, and his cheeks looked wet. "Cloud? Are you okay?" she asked, worried. _Was he crying?_ Tifa thought. "I'm fine," Cloud replied. "Sorry about forgetting." Tifa picked up a dark blue towel from the kitchen counter. "Don't worry about it. Did you have a nightmare? You look like you were crying," she said, dabbing his cheeks. Cloud turned his head. "Stop."

Tifa pursed her lips. She supposed she was treating Cloud like a bit of a child. He wouldn't cry over a nightmare...unless the nightmare involved death. "Cloud, are you having dreams about Aeris?" she asked him gently. Cloud's eyes flickered with pain and he looked at her. "..." Tifa sighed. "I understand. That's okay, it'll pass. Remember, you're not alone." "...I just...would like a little time to myself," he said. Tifa looked surprised. "...Fine then. Come to me if you need to talk," the brunette said, turning to leave. She wanted Cloud to stop her, but he just stood there, staring out the window across from him. Tifa set the towel down on a stand before leaving. She closed the door behind her. _That's right,_ Tifa thought, _Aeris' church can be seen in the distance. Cloud...are you thinking about her again?_

Tifa knew that Cloud had seen her after her death. They all had. The memory was still fresh in her mind – the Chosen Day, when Meteor grew so close to Midgar not even Holy could stop it. It was then the Lifestream burst out of the earth, intertwining with Holy to assist it. They remembered, as the Lifestream grew ever closer to the massive rock, a piece of the Lifestream spiraled up towards the sky until it was eye level with everyone on the Highwind. Tifa remembered watching this part of the Lifestream intently, as a blinding light radiated from Holy. Right before Tifa and the others fell into unconsciousness, they saw a form appear in the sinuous green stream across from them, and they all saw her. Her eyes opened and she looked up, at all of them. And Aeris smiled at all of them. Everything went white, and then black. Tifa woke up on the ground, in a crashed Highwind, miraculously uninjured. The sky was Meteor-free.

Tifa knew Cloud saw her again, in the church, after Kadaj and his group had been destroyed. All the children around him, splashing around, made him smile in embarrassment. He hadn't smiled in two years. He looked up at her and the others, and smiled at them. He then looked down at the children and then scanned the crowd. His gaze fell on the entrance to the church, and his smile faded into a look of surprise. Tifa turned her head to look at the entrance. There were two children crouched in a corner, but he wasn't paying attention to them. And then, he smiled again. And Tifa knew. Aeris was there.

"You're always there, aren't you? There to cheer on us...to help us..." Tifa said out loud as she exited the complex. "Of course...it'd be a lot better if you were by our side..."

**XxXxXx**

Cloud looked over at the closed door. He hadn't meant to be so cold to Tifa, but he just wanted to be left alone. It was ironic, seeing as how he felt lonely and didn't want to be, yet the one person who came to see him he sent away. He walked to the little kitchen and began to cook a simple, healthy, filling dinner. He wiped his face. He couldn't believe she could tell he had been crying. He never cried. It only worried people, and he hated it when people worried about him. Yet, he was always worried about others. Completely ironic.

The next morning Cloud had gone. Tifa had swung over to check up on him. His door was locked, and Fenrir, which was normally parked in the complex's garage, was also gone. She sighed, but knew that traveling around the Midgar continent made him feel better.

**XxXxXx**

Cloud drove past the Chocobo Farm, hearing the familiar cries of the yellow birds he was so fond of. But the farm wasn't his stop today. He wanted to go _there._ He would feel better if he could talk to her. Perhaps tell her about his dream.

Cloud didn't know how to get _there._ He just wanted to go there, and he always ended up on the pink dirt road, surrounded by fields of beautiful yellow flowers. He would stop, and wander into one of the fields. She would be there. Always. Aeris' Promised Land...his sanctuary of happiness.

He found himself driving amidst the fields once again. He stopped his Fenrir and disembarked the attractive black bike. He wandered into the yellow sea of flowers. Aeris would appear to him, smiling, maybe with a few of the flowers in her hand. They would talk for a while, and he would leave. This was the place where they could connect.

He stopped in the center of one of the fields and stood, looking around. She hadn't appeared yet. He sighed and waited. Still no Aeris. He sat on the ground, and looked down at a wilting flower. He picked it and smelled it. It still smelled sweet, despite its crippled appearance. _Kind of like people,_ he thought. He scrutinized the flowers closest to him, hoping that when he looked up she would be standing there with an amused look on his face. He looked up. She wasn't there. "Damnit..." Cloud said. He stood up. "Aeris!" he called, hearing his voice echo around the fields. "Aeris, I'm here! Where are you?" he asked. He didn't receive a reply. He closed his eyes angrily and rubbed his forehead in irritation. He opened his eyes. "Aer—" he paused in mid-call, and his eyes widened.

He was standing in fresh, forest green grass, with pebbles and rocks scattered unevenly every couple of feet. A chocobo was picking at a healthy bunch of Gysahl greens growing next to a grey rock. Cloud stared at the chocobo for a minute, and then looked over towards the Chocobo Farm. Fenrir was parked not too far from it. His hands curled into fists. "What the hell..."

He climbed onto Fenrir and drove in the opposite direction. He wanted to see Aeris. He wanted to go to her Promised Land. Yet, it wasn't appearing. He drove everywhere. Night was beginning to fall, and he still hadn't given up.

He climbed off Fenrir angrily. "WHY THE HELL CAN'T I GO!" he screamed into the setting sun. "I JUST WANT TO SEE HER! LET ME GO THERE!" He didn't understand, he had been allowed entry before, and all of a sudden he wasn't welcome. "Aeris...please let me see you..." he whispered. Still, nothing. He angrily kicked the kickstand of Fenrir, and made to mount the bike, when he heard growling behind him. Fenrir fell onto its side from lack of balance, and Cloud spun around. Two Cuahl were crouched low in front of him. He swore. "Great," he said. He stepped back, and the Cuahl lunged at him. He dodged with lightning-fast movements and grabbed the handles of Fenrir, balancing it and pressing the button to release his swords. He only had time to grab one when he felt one of the monster's claws miss his ear. He jumped behind Fenrir and spun his sword around. The monsters jumped at him, and he slashed at one, giving it a nasty wound on the stomach. Its friend retaliated by jumping at Cloud with an amazing amount of energy gathered in front of its sleek form, tackling Cloud and sending him flying. He jumped in mid-air and brought the sword down towards the uninjured Cuahl, who jumped out of the way and cast Bolt on him. He swore loudly and the lightning burned into his flesh. He spun around and hit the ground, sending Blade Beam at the monster. Slightly woozy from the Bolt, he didn't hear the injured Cuahl slink up behind him until a massive amount of pain ripped through his body as the monster sunk its claws into his head. He whipped around and stabbed the Cuahl and threw it, spinning again to just barely defend himself from the other one, who grabbed the sword with its teeth and began to flail its muzzle, ripping the sword out of Cloud's hand. "Shit..." he said, back flipping to prevent a massive bleedout from his stomach. The Cuahl lunged again, latching onto his hand with its sharp canines. Cloud yelled it pain and ripped his hand from the monster's mouth; it was dripping blood. He ran towards Fenrir and took another sword, turning around and slashing the monster. In a last-ditch attempt to kill him the monster raked its claws on Cloud's stomach and face. Then, it dropped, disappearing in a poof of black smoke.

Cloud was in massive pain. Also, during the fight, he hadn't noticed how much blood had emptied out of his head. He wobbled towards Fenrir, putting away his swords. He took out a Potion and applied it to his hand, the burning sensation made him grit his teeth. He drove back to Midgar, his bike swerving around the road.

**XxXxXx**

"One spinach pasta and garlic bread!" Tifa called, hanging up the order. She mixed up a good whiskey concoction for the waiting customer. Another busy day at 7th Heaven, along with a nice paycheck for herself and her fellow cooks. She washed her hands and took to the plates, setting them on the counter. Barret was going to be back tomorrow, with good news of another successful oil deal. She was going to take Marlene out to buy him a present. She wondered vaguely what music Barret listened to nowadays. Perhaps that new rap artist would satisfy his desires. She giggled at the thought.

The door was thrown open, the wood slamming against the brickwork of the building. She looked up, ready to yell at the rude customer. Her eyes widened. "Cloud!"

Cloud was standing in the doorway, staring in. He was covered in blood. His face had been slashed horribly, there was blood dripping from his hand, and she noticed that as he stood there, a pool of blood began to gather around his feet.

The entire bar suddenly went quiet. She ran out from behind the counter. "Cloud, what happened!" she yelled in worry. Cloud merely looked at her. "I couldn't...go..." he said. With that, he crumpled to the ground, weak from blood loss. "CLOUD!"

**XxXxXx**

Ooooh, cliffhanger! Sort of.

People complain that Cloud and co.'s fighting styles are unrealistic. This is what I say to them. It's a video game/movie. There are monsters everywhere. I believe that the human anatomy in this world has evolved to be able to run fast, jump high, stay in the air temporarily after jumping, defy gravity, take more damage, etc. But I believe this only happens by training. You have these abilities, but you need to train them to hone the skills. Kind of like leveling up. That's why most of the fellow Edge citizens couldn't fight Bahamut-SIN. They hadn't trained their skills, so they were "weak" in the laws of their world. It's weird that Yuffie can run up the side of a building, it's weird that Cid can jump really far, it's weird that Cloud can stay in midair and pull off fancy sword moves, it's weird that Tifa can be punched, thrown into church benches, and sent through a pillar and not have a scratch on her, but it's probably normal in that world. So I don't see the reason to complain.

I got no reviews...but I'll live. I'm still getting hits though, so I hope those who are reading are enjoying it!


	3. Diagnosis

**Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII.  
****Slight AU warning.  
****Don't forget to review when you are finished reading!**

**XXX**

**Flowers Growing In My Mind**

**_Chapter III – Diagnosis_**

The air conditioning in the hospital room was turned on high, making the gloomy white room unnaturally cold. Goosebumps were covering the surface of Tifa's freckled arms, and she could feel her nipples become unwillingly hard. However, it didn't matter, as for right now; all she cared about was Cloud.

He has stumbled into her bar like a drunken man, mumbling something about not being able to go. He collapsed, with a heavy amount of blood loss. How he had stayed conscious from his drive all the way to her bar, she didn't know. How he had allowed himself to receive so much damage was another thing she didn't understand. It didn't matter. She just wanted him to be alright. She had cleared the bar, and had picked Cloud up off the ground when Marlene and Denzel had come downstairs. She could still remember Marlene's screams when she saw the blood on the ground and an injured Cloud. _Those poor kids...having to see that,_ Tifa thought.

She gazed at Cloud's sleeping form. His head has been washed and his injuries wrapped; his spiked hair was matted down from bandages that were changed often. A few Cure spells here and there...Materia was becoming rarer and rarer to find these days.

She heard an argument taking place outside of the hospital room. She pursed her lips. _How rude can you be?_ She thought, getting out of her chair and striding towards the door, opening it and sticking her head out to chastise whomever were arguing. She was greeted by the sight of an attendant frowning at a large black man, who was shaking his metal fist angrily. "Barret!" she whispered loudly. Both Barret and the nurse looked at her. Barret said something to the nurse and walked to Tifa. "Hey, Tifa!" he said in his loud tones. "Barret, hey! Keep your voice down, will you?" she asked, pulling him into the room. He gazed down at Cloud. "Damn! The hell he do?" he asked. Tifa sighed. "I don't know. He hasn't woken up. Scared Marlene out of her wits, too..." "Aint nobody gonna scare Marlene like that! Can't believe this..." said Barret. "He was acting really strange the night before," Tifa said, suddenly remembering. Barret sat down on the room visitor's couch. "He's gonna get a fistful from me when he wakes up! He's too strong to be getting' mauled by some goddamn monsters that are around here."

The door opened, and a doctor entered quietly, not wanting to disturb the conversation between Tifa and Barret. They both stood up when he entered. "So?" Tifa asked, not knowing what else to say. The doctor smiled sadly at Tifa. "You might not like what I'm going to tell you," he began, getting cut off by Barret. "You'd better tell us somethin' good!" he threatened. "Well," the doctor began, "Mr. Strife has lost quite a lot of blood, so we've given him a transfusion. Problem is he hasn't woken up. We're sure he also suffered heavy brain damage from the attack. Was he infected with Geostigma?" Tifa nodded. "Yes, he was part of the pandemic." The doctor nodded and produced a pen out of nowhere, scribbling something on a clipboard. "How about mental stress? Has he been having stress-inducing problems of late?" Tifa thought for a moment. "He's been having nightmares...about his dead love...my best friend, Aeris Gainsborough." Barret looked shocked by this piece of information. "Really? He sure didn't act like he was miserable." "He's actually starting to neglect us again. I went to his apartment; he looked as if he had been crying," Tifa said helpfully. "Dead love?" the doctor asked. "Yes, Cloud loved her...she was murdered...and he felt extreme guilt in being unable to stop her death. That, and the death of his old best friend, Zack," Tifa said. "So...guilt over death, loss of loved ones, infliction of Geostigma...I knew it," the doctor said under his breath. "What do ya know! Don't be so secretive!" Barret snapped.

The doctor cleared his throat. "Mr. Strife still had Jenova cells swimming inside of him. Although the rain cured the Geostigma completely, in most cases, for some people it only killed most of the virus. Mr. Strife has a gleam in his eyes reminiscent of SOLDIER. So I'm assuming that he has more Jenova cells in his body than others. Therefore, the rain didn't eliminate all of the cells. He has been living with guilt, dread, and sadness for a while, and he most likely wants more than anything to correct these wrongs. He doesn't want to accept reality, and therefore, the Jenova cells inside of him have responded to his wishes and have attached themselves to his brain. Also, because he was at a risk of dying, the Jenova cells entered his brain in order to prevent him from becoming brain dead. Viruses thrive on people, plants, animals, and monsters, and they need a host in order to stay alive and travel. Their survival instincts cause them to do everything in their power to keep their host's body alive until they have spread to another. So, in a way, the Jenova cells are keeping his brain from dying."

Tifa stared at the doctor. "He's surviving...because of the enemy!" she thought back to when he was in the Mideel hospital, three years ago, nothing more than a vegetable who could say a few words and roll his head around. Her eyes began to burn when she thought of him ending up like that. The doctor sighed sadly. "The Jenova cells have kept his mind alive by giving him the things he's always wanted. In other words, they've created an alternate reality for him. A nonexistent world that can only be found in his mind. However...the Jenova cells will eventually decide to stop protecting Mr. Strife, and his brain will deteriorate...albeit slow...when that happens."

Barret couldn't believe what he was hearing. "That's...fucked up, man! The bastards are giving him luxury while they kill him!" he yelled. Tifa sunk into her chair, weak-kneed. "No...Cloud...you can't die! I won't let you!" She looked at him. "Say something...please...SAY SOMETHING!"

**XxXxXx**

_What a comfortable bed..._

_Yes, those are some nice sheets, hm?_

_You? I thought you were gone._

_I'm never gone..._

_Where am I? The hospital._

_Why don't you turn over and look?_

Cloud thought he'd never hear his inner self again. He had woken up with a start. He was in a comfortable bed, covered in silk white sheets that felt good against his skin. He felt the back of his head...hadn't he been viciously attacked by Cuahl not too long ago? He last remembered going into Tifa's bar. He was probably lying in one of her beds.

He turned over and yawned, feeling...reenergized, like he hadn't been attacked at all. He blinked his blue eyes into focus. The first thing they fell on was a straight waterfall of light brown hair. His eyes widened. "Aeris?"

**XxXxXx**

Oooh, cliffhanger! Only one review...but I'm in a c2 community! Pretty cool. Yeah, for the fantasy world, I'm going to have it so Cloud's accustomed to his old world, and not this new world. Like, instead of waking up and feeling all natural, he wakes up thinking Aeris is dead, Zack's dead and Midgar is a pile of machines. Hope you enjoyed this one! Kind of short, sorry.


	4. What He Wants

**Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII.  
****Slight AU warning.  
****Don't forget to review when you are finished reading!**

**XXX**

**Flowers Growing In My Mind**

**_Chapter IV – What He Wants_**

At the mention of her name, the girl next to him shifted and turned around, turning to look at Cloud. She opened her beautiful green eyes and looked at him sleepily, smiling. "Morning."

Cloud stared into her eyes. He couldn't believe this. No, this was just another dream. It was going to end soon...most likely with Aeris lying bloody on the ground, like they always ended. He reached out and touched her cheek. She smelled like lilies, like the ones in her church. And...the flowers from her Promised Land. She felt so soft against his fingers. "You...you're dead..." he managed to say. Aeris' eyebrows rose. "How sweet of you. Were you having a nightmare?" she asked him, stroking his hair. _In all my dreams...I've never been aware that Aeris was dead until the end..._he thought. "You...you're alive?" he asked. "You sure have the most depressing dreams," Aeris said, her soft voice comforting the man. He sat up, the blanket sliding down his torso. He looked down and noticed that he wasn't wearing a shirt. He reddened and looked at Aeris. She sat up, her wavy brown hair falling down her back and shoulders. She was wearing a short pink nightgown. He reddened further. He had never seen her wearing so little before. She giggled when she noticed his face. "You're acting like you've never seen your wife wearing this before," she said.

"Wife?" Cloud asked. "You really are slow in the mornings," Aeris said with a giggle. "Three years ago, we met. A year ago, we married." She pointed at a framed picture on the opposite wall. It showed a picture of Aeris, wearing a beautiful white strapless wedding dress and holding a bouquet of—surprise!—yellow and white lilies. Cloud had his arm around her waist and had his head tilted towards her, wearing an expensive tuxedo. A whole bunch of facts began to register in his mind. That was their wedding picture. This was their house. And Aeris was alive. He jumped out bed, wearing only blue pajama bottoms, and ran out the room, down an oak-floored hallway, and out the front door. The cool air whipped against his skin as he went outside and turned around. His eyes widened. "Midgar..."

**XxXxXx**

"Ok kids, it's time to go now, Cloud needs his rest," Tifa said, shooing Marlene and Denzel away from the bed. "Cloud will wake up soon, right Tifa?" Marlene asked. Tifa eyes fell to the ground, but she smiled. "Yes, soon." "When he wakes up, let's all take him out to his favorite restaurant!" Denzel suggested. "Yes, let's do that...when he wakes up," Tifa said. "We'll be at home, ok?" Marlene said. "Be careful," Barret said, hugging and kissing his daughter on the cheek. Marlene giggled. "I'll be fine, daddy," she said. She took Denzel's hand and they left the hospital room.

"Sometimes, I wish I were as naïve as they," Barret said. The hospital door opened and Reeve entered, looking tired but worried. "I came as soon as I heard. Where's Cloud?" he asked. He looked over at the bed. "Oh, Cloud...what happened to you..." he looked at Tifa and Barret. "Is he in pain?"

Tifa looked at Reeve. "No...he's...happy."

**XxXxXx**

Midgar was down below the hill their home was on. Gone were the huge grey machines. Gone was the grey, dead land around the capital. Gone was the ever-grey sky hanging over the city. In fact...nothing was grey.

The city looked beautiful. There were large buildings, yes, but everything was green and beautiful. The sunlight was shining down on the metropolis, and everything looked so...wonderful. Cloud couldn't help but smile at the city.

He heard footsteps and Aeris appeared next to him, gazing down at Midgar. "Such a great city," she said. "What about...the slums?" he asked, the thought coming to him. Aeris looked at him. "There are no slums. There might be a few spots here and there that aren't very classy, but...Shin-Ra makes everything great." Cloud's eyes narrowed. "Shin-Ra..." "Yes. They recently gave the Chocobo farm to the east a huge amount of money to expand. The government was skeptical, but they allowed it in the end," she said. "Government? But...Shin-Ra had overthrown the government, pretty much..." he said. Aeris laughed. "Hardly! The government still has good control over Shin-Ra."

Shin-Ra...a good company...looking out for the people of the Midgar continent. No mako reactors, nobody using the Lifestream as an energy source. He turned. "Let's go back inside, it's chilly," he said. Aeris nodded and walked back into the house. Cloud made to follow, and then stopped, looking at the front of his house. It was a nice ranch house, with a beautiful arrangement of flowers and bushes decorating the front. Cloud's bike was parked to the side of the house. They also had a perfect view of Midgar from there. Cloud froze. The hill overlooking Midgar. This is where Zack's grave is. This is where Zack was shot and killed defending Cloud. Zack was supposed to be buried here. He shook his head. "No...this world...is different..." he said. He walked back into the house.

At the beginning of the entrance hallway, there was a closet door and an opening leading into the dining room. Beyond the dining room was the kitchen. Connected to the kitchen was the living room, which led back into the hallway, where there was a bathroom, their bedroom, an office, and a storeroom. He began to salivate from the smell of bacon entering his nose, and he walked into their bedroom. Nothing fancy, just a queen sized bed, two dressers, two side tables, a lamp, a clock, a few paintings, a vanity, and a closet. He opened his dresser and looked for something to wear. He opted for a sleeveless green turtleneck and dark blue pants, with black boots.

Walking to the kitchen, he heard Aeris humming a song, similar to the song he played on the piano during lessons. He smiled at the familiar tune and entered the kitchen. It was slightly cramped, but always smelled good. He sat at the table. _Eating breakfast, made by Aeris, in our own house. This world, whatever it is, is perfect._ Aeris set down a plate of bacon and fruit crepes in front of him, and sat down with her own plate, with sausage instead of bacon. "Enjoy," she said. "Itadakimasu," they both said in unison as they began to eat. They ate in silence for five minutes, before Aeris decided to speak. "Cloud, did you call Zack back yesterday? He needed to talk to you about the latest vacation," she said. Cloud's eyes went from his plate to Aeris. "Zack called me?" he asked. He stood up and went into his bedroom, grabbing his PHS-brand cell phone off his nightstand. He searched through the numbers and found one listed as ZACK CELL. He pressed the dial button and walked back into the kitchen, pacing around while Aeris ate her crepes, amused. The phone rang three times before someone finally picked up. Cloud's heart lifted as he heard the familiar voice enter his ear.

"Yeah, 'sup?" asked Zack from the other end. After a moment of silence, Cloud answered. "Zack...it's Cloud...I...um...well..." the black-haired man cut him off in an excited tone. "Finally! I thought you forgot about me. So, you up for this weekend? You, me, the ladies, Gold Saucer?" he asked. "The ladies?" Cloud asked. "Yeah, you know, your lovely wife and my honey Tifa," he said.

Cloud blinked and looked over at Aeris with a puzzled look on his face. She raised her eyebrow at him, as if to ask why he was giving her such an odd look. "Um..." he said, "could you...hold on a minute?" he crossed the kitchen and entered his bedroom, scanning the picture frames on the shelf. One caught his eyes. It had also been taken on their wedding day. Zack, looking handsome with his odd black haircut and blue tuxedo, had his arm around Cloud and was winking at the frame. Tifa and Aeris were hugging, with Tifa wearing her bushy hair up in an intricate hairstyle, and with a short blue dress. "Best man and maid of honor..." Cloud thought out loud. "Are you looking at your wedding pictures _again?_ You obsessed freak," Zack said over the line. "I bet you look at your wedding pictures the same way," Cloud answered. To his surprise, Zack replied in an irritated tone. "Ok, I get it. You're trying to drop hints that I should get married. Geez, everyone's rushing me! At the bar, at work...the only person who isn't is Tifa!" _I've never had a conversation like this in my life. What am I supposed to say!_ Cloud thought desperately. "Um...about the Gold Saucer thing..." he said, trying to change the subject. It worked. "Oh yeah, Shin-Ra's given me plenty of vacation days, so I'm not skipping or anything. Oh, by the way, you're accompanying me to work later this week, but don't bring a lunch, the cafeteria's food is amazing. Of course, that's because Tifa volunteers there," he said in a proud tone. Cloud remembered, Tifa always was a great cook. "Yes...um...here, I'll give the phone to Aeris," he said. He quickly went into the kitchen and thrust his phone at her before going outside.

So many emotions were rushing to him at one time. He felt confused, happy, annoyed, ecstatic...all at once. He didn't know why Aeris was alive, why Zack was alive, why Tifa was going out with him, why he and Aeris were married, why Midgar was beautiful-looking, why there appeared to be no mako reactors anywhere, why Shin-Ra wasn't controlling everything...yet, the more he thought, the more he realized he _didn't care._ He didn't need an explanation. He didn't want one. This world was full of things he wanted. He didn't have to know why, as long as it was there. Right?

**XxXxXx**

"You need to get some rest," Reeve said kindly to Tifa. She had been on her feet all day working, and then she had been in the hospital the whole night, sitting by Cloud's side, waiting for him to wake. _So dedicated,_ he thought. Barret had gone to 7th Heaven in order to look after Marlene and Denzel. Tifa looked over at him with weak eyes. "Reeve, I'm not leaving him," she said.

It was like at the Mideel hospital. Tifa didn't care about anything else, only Cloud, at this point. Reeve knew this, but he didn't want her to be there alone. He knew her mind couldn't take the thought of Cloud dying. In fact, he wasn't sure he'd be able to accept it. The strong man who went against all odds, who was a nobody in a small town and ended up saving the world—twice—was lying in a hospital, with Jenova cells the only thing keeping his brain—and his whole body—from shutting down. Reeve shook his head, sighing. He stood up, his long blue coat brushing against Cloud's bedside. "I'll get you something to eat," he said to her. He was going to add, don't go anywhere, but he knew she wasn't going to be leaving the hospital anytime soon.

**XxXxXx**

Blech, I don't think this chapter was written very well. I'm not very good with describing rooms of houses, or houses in general. But, for those of you who are having trouble visualizing Midgar, just think of Midgar from the game and movie, and how it was depicted 500 years in the future. Then get ride of all the destruction and the over-wild look and the slums, and there's Midgar.

Yay! Aeris and Zack are alive! Yes, Tifa is going out with Zack, they aren't really going to have the spotlight but their relationship will still be obvious. There will also be others you recognize in the fantasy world, but they'll be different in certain ways. Pretty much, this entire world is different. Well, review, and I'm sorry for the lack of fun in this chapter.


	5. Office Troubles

**Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII.  
****Slight AU warning.  
****Don't forget to review when you are finished reading!**

**XXX**

**Flowers Growing In My Mind**

**_Chapter V – Office Troubles_**

It had been almost a week since he woke up and found himself next to his lover, and Cloud had begun to adjust to the daily routine that was his life.

Aeris always woke up before him to cook breakfast. He had tried to learn but had never been a very good cook, so he let his lovely wife do it for him. They would eat together, and she would leave for work, kissing him on the cheek or lips (depending on her mood) before exiting the house. She wasn't a motorcycle type, instead, she had a nice Serpent Velocity X20, which he heard was an expensive, but fast, car, and he had no idea how she got one. Since his office was at home, he didn't really leave the house except on days off, when he could turn off his work phones. Usually, he did housework. He didn't mind doing it, it was like training. Whenever he did go somewhere, he didn't have to worry about monsters attacking him while he drove, as there were no monsters in this world. Aeris was usually home by four. She owned a flower shop and always came home smelling of flowers and soil. She would come home dirty, and would then do garden maintenance for varied amounts of time. She would then shower, and make dinner. Aeris always had an exciting story to tell at the table. Usually, after dinner, Cloud would settle down and watch the television. Aeris didn't watch television much, although she was fond of a few dramas and comedies. She also watched garden and cooking shows. Usually however, she'd be doing some physical activity, either that or reading. She usually went to bed early.

Cloud felt slightly guilty that Aeris did so much work, so he helped her garden when he could, and also made all of the shopping trips. Gas prices were slightly high, so Cloud was thankful for all of the business Aeris got. Strife Delivery Service wasn't very well-known, so he didn't get many customers.

Today seemed like a normal day off. Cloud got up from bed, yawning and blinking away the rays of the sun coming through the window. He threw on some clothes—a black shirt and loose jeans—and walked into the kitchen. Aeris was flipping some toast on the stove. She turned and smiled at him. "Good morning!" she said in a cheery voice. He smiled back and nodded. "I'm going to get the news this time, ok?" he said, his mouth watering from the scent of the toast. She nodded. "I'm making homemade jam, so take all the time you want," she said with a giggle. He strode over to the front door, and opened it. He took a step outside, and soon found himself being clung onto by an older man with black hair. He smirked. "Zack you freak, get off me!"

The man let go and smirked at Cloud. He was wearing a loose white blouse and black pants, with a gold name pin; the uniform of Shin-Ra employees. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at work?" he asked. "Nah, I've got time. Besides, I had to come pick you up," he said. Cloud raised his eyebrow. "Why don't you come in," he said, wondering what Zack was talking about. "I was about to invite myself in!" he said cheerfully, stepping into the house. "Dear Odin, what is that delicious smell? Could that be...Aeris' wonderful cooking!" he asked, popping into the kitchen. Aeris whipped around, some jam flying off her spoon. She smiled. "Zack, hello!" she said. Zack hugged her and kissed her cheek. "Always nice to see a sexy face," he said. Cloud pursed his lips. "Anyway...why are you here again?" Cloud asked, wondering if he forgot anything on his schedule. Zack winked at him, sticking out his tongue. "You guys are coming with me to work," he said. Aeris raised her eyebrows at him. "Excuse me? When did you suddenly decide this?" she asked.

Zack grinned. "Since I got in trouble with my boss yesterday and he might not be so prone to yell at me if I bring along guests," he said. Cloud narrowed his eyes. "Thanks...a lot."

**XxXxXx**

Tifa was eating her lunch slowly in the cafeteria of the hospital. She had been there for a week. Bags had formed under her eyes from lack of sleep. She kept on waking up every two or three hours to check on Cloud. He still hadn't awakened, but Tifa couldn't help but be bothered by the peaceful look on his face. It looked like he was just sleeping. Tifa couldn't help but wonder if he was dreaming.

She heard a loud crash and a high-pitched voice yelling at some doctor. She chuckled as her friend Yuffie Kisaragi came over, holding a tray of food. "Stupid doctor nearly caused me to fall over!" she said, sitting down across from her. Yuffie had come from Wutai as soon as she heard about Cloud from Barret. She was determined to cheer Tifa up. It worked, but only temporarily. Of course, Yuffie really couldn't say Tifa was overreacting. Both Tifa and Cloud had extremely traumatic events befall them, though Tifa's weren't nearly as bad as Cloud's. Yet, Tifa had almost lost Cloud once before, and she didn't want that to happen again. Not to mention she knew she could never replace Aeris, and did all she could to make him as happy as Aeris once did.

"Hey, Tifa, when Cloud wakes up, I think we should take him to Wutai. What do you say? A nice hike up the Da-Chao Mountains would do him some good. And we can stuff him full of our onigiri," she said. Tifa smiled at her briefly. "Yes, I think we could do that. I'm sure he'd like it...he hasn't been to Wutai in two years." Yuffie smiled. Cloud's doctor, Dr. Kadowaki, approached the girls with a clipboard in his hands. Tifa stood up, forgetting her food and thoughts of Wutai. "How is he!" she asked. Yuffie growled. _Great, ruin my plan why don't you. _Dr. Kadowaki smiled at her. "He's still in a coma. However, we know where we can find the Jenova cells, so we're planning on giving him brain surgery to remove the cells. He should wake up a few hours after the surgery," he said. "Should?" Tifa asked, but Yuffie jumped into the conversation. "So, all you gotta do is remove them? Why didn't you do that before!" "We had to see if we actually needed the surgery. Mr. Strife has a much more delicate body than you think. Brain surgery is going to be risky," the doctor said, adjusting his glasses. Yuffie opened her mouth to argue, but Tifa shook her head at the kunoichi. "No, Yuffie. Don't. I want the surgery."

**XxXxXx**

Cloud looked around the air-conditioned building. He remembered coming in here before, to rescue Aeris from the Turks. The building's interior hadn't changed at all, but there seemed to be a warm feel to the presences surrounding him. Zack waved and greeted a few fellow workers and pushed the up button for the elevator. "I'm telling you, if today had been a work day for you two, I would have been so screwed," he said, leaning against the glass. Aeris giggled. "We'll do what we can to help," she said.

When the elevator finally reached its destination, they departed and Zack led them through a bunch of large cubicles. Cloud looked into every one of them, and noticed a few familiar-looking faces as he walked by. He smirked and continued walking.

A man was sleeping in his chair, his feet propped on his desk. His fire red ponytail was hanging over his shoulder, and his foot was leaning dangerously close to a little model of a moogle that could easily be crushed under the black combat boot. His computer screen was full of graphs, and was beeping every few minutes. A paper ball hit him in the face, and he woke with a start, his chair losing balance underneath him and he fell to the ground, his upper half on the ground while his feet still perched on the desk. Laughs broke the silent work air as a girl with short blonde hair frowned at the man from the parallel cubicle. "Reno! Would you _stop _falling asleep all the time! You're making us look bad!" she chastised. Reno yawned and looked into her honey-colored eyes. "Elena, why do you care? You don't have to worry about your reputation with the boss, as long as you keep him _happy_," he said, adding accent to the last word. Elena blushed. "I should have never told you! At least Rude keeps quiet about it!" she said, gesturing to the cubicle in front of her, where a bald man with sunglasses was typing vigorously on his computer. Reno chuckled. "That's because he's not a big mouth, aint that right Rude?" he asked. Rude looked over his shoulder. "...I'm busy." Reno laughed and Elena smiled. "See, I told you."

**XxXxXx**

"Didn't we pass your cubicle already?" Aeris asked, looking behind her. "Relax and go along with it," Zack said, heading to the vending machines. He took out 250 gil. "Let's see, Wutain Punch...Dr. Ether...Lucky 7's-Up...Hero Drink...I think the boss likes Gaea's Cliffs Dew..." he mumbled to himself, inserting the money and pressing the button. He heard the door at the head of the cubicles open. "Shit!" he cursed, taking out the drink and thrusting it into Aeris' hands. Just then, a man stepped out of the office.

He wore a fancy black suit with a grey tie. He had long black hair and a birthmark dot on his forehead. He looked over at Zack with captivating eyes that quickly gained a deadly look. "Zack..." he began, walking over to him. He smiled brightly. "Hey, Boss Tseng!" he began, before he ducked to narrowly miss a punch that caused a dent in the vending machine, which spit out a free Hero Drink. It rolled across the floor and Reno grabbed it. "Good, at least this'll keep me awake."

"Zack, I swear I am THIS close to firing you! THIS CLOSE!" Tseng yelled, holding his thumb and index finger a miniscule amount apart. "Boss, it's not a total crisis. You know I can fix it..." "But still, it's going to be all over the news. You cost the company nearly twelve million gil because of that mistake!" Tseng yelled. Cloud and Aeris' jaws dropped open. "You're kidding me...you idiot..." Cloud said under his breath. Tseng's head snapped to look at Cloud. "Y—oh...hello Cloud," he said, blushing with embarrassment. _He knows me? Right...I've been here before,_ Cloud thought. "Zack, why didn't you tell me you were bringing Cloud along?" he asked. Zack smiled. "I thought you wanted to talk to me about the problem?" he asked. "Um...Mr. Tseng?" Aeris asked. Tseng turned and went even redder. "A-Ah...Mrs. Strife...y-you were there too?" he asked. Aeris smiled and handed him the Gaea's Cliffs Dew. "Here you go, Mr. Tseng. I hope we weren't interrupting anything," she said. Tseng took the drink. "T-Thank you very much...a-ah, no, actually Zack was just about to get back to work," he said. Cloud raised his eyebrow. _Zack is using my wife to...seduce...his boss! Oh, fricking Shiva._

"Come back anytime, Mrs. Strife. And your husband as well," Tseng said, waving as he went back into his office, holding the drink like it was his baby. Elena scowled and Reno laughed. "He sure likes checking her out, eh?" he said. Elena sighed and Rude looked over his cubicle. "He'll...always be faithful." The two friends looked at their third, surprised. Elena smiled. "Yeah, I know...but I guess that means I have the right to check out Rufus Shinra, eh?"

**XxXxXx**

As you guessed, Zack is a good comic relief character. He makes everything fun! I was planning to introduce Tifa in this chapter, but that'll wait. Instead, you get to see the Turks working in cubicles! The uniform for Shin-Ra employees is actually the same uniform the Turks had, but varied. Also, Dr. Kadowaki should sound familiar to Final Fantasy VIII fans, except the gender was flopped. I made several references to the game and brand name drinks in this chapter.

Wutain Punch – Hawaiian Punch (I do not own this drink), Wutai style

Dr. Ether – Dr. Pepper (I do not own this drink), and of course, Ether

Lucky 7's Up – 7-Up (do not own this either), and this references the condition in the game called Lucky 7's, when a character's HP is 7777, they do 7777 damage for every strike they do with their weapon and I think they do it repeatedly

Gaea's Cliffs Dew – Mountain Dew (do not own this one), Gaea's Cliffs (WHICH ARE A BITCH)

Hero Drink – a drink from the game that raised your stats (and you got it in the Shin-Ra building for...guess what! 250 gil).

I suck with chapter titles. I really don't know what Zack did to cost the company 12 million gil...use your imagination! It's better than mine anyway! See you next chapter!


	6. Interlude, Wouldn't it Be Good

**Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII or the song Wouldn't It Be Good.  
****Slight AU warning.  
****Don't forget to review when you are finished reading!**

**XXX**

**Flowers Growing In My Mind**

**_Chapter VI – Interlude; Wouldn't It Be Good_**

**Cloud's P.O.V.**

I couldn't stop myself from wondering. Why did it have to end so suddenly? In this cruel twist of fate you decided to die on me. And I could never have been any more heartbroken. For some reason, you haunted my memories and my thoughts. I knew it wasn't your fault...but I always wondered what it would have been like if I had found you before Sephiroth took you away from me. And now...I don't have to wonder anymore.

_  
Remember the day  
There was a sign  
It was the time  
To take me away to your arms_

The day I was attacked by those monsters. The day I was rejected from you. Why was I rejected? Because that way, I could be with you forever. And I will be with you forever.

_I heard your voice you called my name  
A single touch  
Would stop my pain  
I feel like you in everything I do_

Here, in this beautiful world. I can be happy, and I can be with you. We can spend a lot more nights together than just at the Gold Saucer. How I can hold you. When you say my name softly in the night, it fills me with something that I've never felt before. You make me happy. You always will.

_Wouldn't it be good to be in your shoes  
Even if it was for just one day  
Wouldn't it be good if we could wish ourselves away_

And we can. At night, when we embrace each other in bed. We can distance ourselves from the world and just hold each other. Or perhaps do something even more.

_Wouldn't it be good to be on your side  
Grasses always greener over there  
Wouldn't it be good if we could live without a care_

We worry about nothing. I do not worry about monsters attacking you on your way to work; you don't worry about me having a mental breakdown. We don't worry. Not in this world.

_The times passing by  
I feel like you  
I always do  
You're my place to hide  
I don't know why  
Still hear your voice  
Still feel the same  
Single kiss can stop the rain  
So close to you in everything I do_

You are my sanctuary. I feel comfortable around you; you shelter me from everything grotesque. I cannot stop feeling happy around you. As our naked bodies press against each other in the heat of the night, I feel like we are one with each other. That was can never be separated.

_Wouldn't it be good to be in your shoes  
Even if it was for just one day  
Wouldn't it be good if we could wish ourselves away_

I accept this world as the haven you built for me. The place where I can touch your silky hair, stare into your love-filled eyes...the place where I feel whole. Reality doesn't care for me; therefore I do not want to go back. I know, this place is not a delusion. It's...not yours...not mine...OUR Promised Land.

_Wouldn't it be good to be on your side  
Grasses always greener over there  
Wouldn't it be good if we could live without a care_

What is so wrong with living here? I am happy. I do not need despair and sadness in so called reality, when I can laugh and smile here, where I truly belong. I don't care about the troubles of reality. Not anymore.

_Wouldn't it be good to be in your shoes  
Even if it was for just one day  
Wouldn't it be good if we could wish ourselves away_

And we can. I can wish myself to be with you. But it's not only for one day...it's forever.

**XxXxXx**

Doesn't really have a plot...it's more of how Cloud truly felt the first few nights he spent in this fantasy world. I made it for BrightLotus, and endearing fan of mine. I hope I didn't disappoint with this one! It's actually a bit of a filler, sorry if it's not that great, it's the first songfic I've ever done. Song is Wouldn't It Be Good by Cascada.

I don't know if anybody wants one or is they feel comfortable having one, but if anyone wants a lemon in the upcoming chapters, just let me know (via review).

Next chapter has more plot. I am kind of straying away from the whole "Aeris is making Cloud happy" thing, so I'll shift the plot back towards that, ok? I did notice last chapter was more comic relief, sorry for those expecting some action or fluff!


	7. Tenderness and Misery

**Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII.  
****Slight AU warning.  
****Don't forget to review when you are finished reading!**

**XXX**

**Flowers Growing In My Mind**

**_Chapter VII – Tenderness and Misery_**

It was another stormy day down in paradise. Aeris sighed as she watched her plants be furiously rained upon. It was good for them; however, she knew she'd have to replace a good majority of the smaller plants. The winds were howling, and she expected weed seeds to bury themselves inside the soft earth of her nursery. She began to shuffle some papers regarding renovations on one of her greenhouses. "I should get ready for a slow day..."

**XxXxXx**

Cloud watched the rain beat on his office window. He had to make a delivery today, but the roads would be too muddy and the winds too dangerous to ride on. "I guess he'll have to wait another day," he said out loud, taking out the newspaper and reading a few articles. "Wallace Enterprise Considering Buying Out Shin-Ra?" he read with a smile. "Good work, Barret." In this world, Barret owned a multimillion gil oil company. He lived in a mansion in the thriving coal mine city of Corel – which had never been burned down. He scanned the article. "I don't think Barret needs Shin-Ra. He's got plenty of money as it is." He turned the page. "Local Kalm Cetra State Planet Wants More Forests," he read. "The Planet's so picky," he said. The article's headline made him smile however. The Cetra had never been wiped out by Jenova, and they were all over the planet, conducting planet-readings for the government. He flipped through a few pages. "Shin-Ra Type 26 Rocket Landing in Rocket Town Next Week," he read. According to the article, Cid Highwind, the pilot, and his wife Shera were hosting a party the night he's going to come back. Those invited include close friends. Cloud knew he wasn't going to be invited. This Cid Highwind didn't know him or Aeris. Yet, it didn't bother him. He didn't know why, and he knew he should feel guilty that he didn't care, but...he didn't care that he didn't care. Everything was good. Why should he feel sad?

He put down the paper and he heard the door open and shut. He got up, wiping some Kuporific Cheese Swirls crumbs off of his pants. He stuck his head out his office door. He saw his soaked wife take off a green raincoat. "Hey. Let me guess—hard day at work?" he asked. Aeris sighed. "Yes. Not many people came...I closed early, and I know I need to replace roof shingles, flowers, trees, bushes...there goes giving myself a paycheck," she said with a sigh. Cloud went up to her and hugged her. "Don't worry about it. One missed paycheck isn't going to hurt us."

Aeris smiled and buried her head in his chest. "I know. Did you get any clients today?" she asked, her nose picking up a mixed scent of light cologne, rain, and cheese swirls from the cotton shirt. Cloud shook his head. "No one called. Worse is, I'm going to be late on a delivery. Good thing it doesn't spoil," he said. Aeris giggled. "It's a little early for me to be cooking dinner. I think I'm going to rest for a while; I've been on my feet all day checking the nursery. At least I don't have to garden today!" she said cheerfully. She detached from Cloud and headed for the bedroom. Cloud noticed a blister on her foot. He sighed. _I'm not going to let her make dinner when she's so worn out. I'll make it while she's asleep. _He headed for the kitchen. _I don't cook, but it shouldn't be so hard. _He looked around at all the utensils. "...Ok...so I take this...pot-thing...do I cook steak on a skillet? Or is that where Aeris makes eggs? What is THIS supposed to be? A pressure cooker?...Get me my Buster Sword and a few Red Dragons any day...oh boy."

**XxXxXx**

"So, Cloud's scheduled for surgery tomorrow?" Cid Highwind asked Tifa, who was in her usual spot beside Cloud's bed. Tifa nodded.

The brunette certainly looked different. Her hair was unkempt and oily from lack of showering, there were dark circles under her eyes, and she was slightly pale from nerves. Cid had just arrived at the hospital yesterday, but he was told by Yuffie that Tifa had never left the hospital ever since Cloud had arrived. He had offered to take her to a nice Cosmon Restaurant for lunch. She had politely refused and turned back to Cloud. He remembered leading the group three years ago, after Tifa had refused to leave Cloud's side. Now, when there was no need to lead anything, he wasn't sure what to do. He looked down at the engagement ring on his finger. _Shera's better at comfortin' than I am..._ he thought. However, she was pregnant and wasn't exactly in a very good mood lately. "Tifa...the surgery's gonna go fine. I'll bet you anything it'll be a great success, then Cloud can wake up and we can take him to Rocket Town. You guys can see my latest research on space travel!" Cid said.

To his surprise, Tifa stood up suddenly, knocking the chair over. "You too!" she yelled. Yuffie, who had just entered the room, froze. "First Yuffie is bombarding me with 'oh let's take him to Wutai', then you go and say we can bring him to Rocket Town! Does it LOOK like I care where we take him! I'm not in the mood to think about anything right now! Cloud is dying and all you can think about is going on vacation!" she bellowed. "Tifa..." Yuffie began, stepping towards her. Tifa threw a powerful punch in Yuffie's direction, barely missing the teenager. "Get out of this room, right now! I'm not taking any more of this!" she said, bursting into tears.

Yuffie's eyes also began to well up. "Tifa...we aren't..." she choked, trying not to cry. Cid walked up to Tifa, and put his arms around her, feeling slightly awkward. "Let go of me," Tifa said. However, she did not put up a fight, and actually buried her head in Cid's chest and cried.

**XxXxXx**

Cloud looked down at the mixture he called mashed potatoes. He poked it with his wooden spoon. "Somehow, I don't think it should be so...liquid..." he thought out loud. He pounded another potato into the mixture. "There, that should do it," he said. He heard the oven begin to beep. Cloud turned his attention to the oven, opening it. He poked the chicken. "This is cold!" he said, looking up at the oven. "I didn't...turn it on..." he said. "What do I turn it to!" he yelled. After a moment of thinking, he turned it up as high as he could. "That should make it cook faster." He then turned to the vegetables he was steaming with soy sauce. "Is lettuce supposed to look so brown? Must be the soy sauce..." he concluded, taking them out and putting them in a bowl. He began to set the table. The phone rang. He grabbed it and answered. "Hello?" he asked. "Hey, Cloud, it's Zack!" said his cheerful friend over the phone.

**XxXxXx**

Cloud hung up the phone with a sigh. "Looks like Gold Saucer is down for renovations...guess the trip is off," he said sadly. He looked at his watch. "6:30...odd...did the oven beep?" he wondered out loud. He looked in the kitchen. Black smoke was pouring out of the oven. His jaw dropped open. "Shit!" he swore, running to turn the oven off. He opened it and took out a blackened chicken. He looked up at the digital clock on the oven. "I never set the time..." he realized. He began to cut the kitchen as best as he could, trying to cut off all the burned parts.

He heard the sound of the bed shifting in their bedroom. _Crap, she's awake. Make it look good,_ he thought, piling chicken on her plate, slopping runny mashed potatoes on it and arranging the vegetables as best as he could.

He set the plates down on the table and poured some wine, sitting down just as Aeris walked into the kitchen, rubbing her eyes. "Cloud?" she asked, yawning. "I made dinner for us," Cloud said. Aeris looked down at the table. Her eyes lit up. "You made dinner? You've never made dinner before!" she exclaimed, sitting down. "Thank you! Truthfully, I wasn't really in the mood to make dinner," she said. "What is...this?" she asked, poking the brown, sodden vegetables. "That's broccoli, lettuce, cucumbers, and cauliflower steamed with soy sauce," he said. "And I made some mashed potatoes, and chicken," he said. She looked at the chicken. "Um...it's brown..." she said. She speared a piece with her fork and ate it. It was incredibly heard to chew, and it tasted burnt. She swallowed it painfully. She then tried some vegetables. They were overcooked and completely soaked in soy sauce. She stuffed some mashed potatoes in her mouth in order to soak up some of the sauce. _These potatoes taste is as runny as a drink..._ she thought. She downed all of her wine as fast as possible, to drown out the taste.

Cloud was watching her intently. She looked up at him, smiling. "Thank you for making dinner," she said. Cloud smiled. "Thanks! Do you like it?" he asked, taking a bite of the chicken. "I think I like it as much as you do," she said, watching his face grow purple. He spat it onto his plate. "Oh my Shiva...I didn't think it was so bad..." he said, trying some of the vegetables. His eyes watered as he swallowed it. She giggled. He sipped his wine. "I can't believe this...I'm sorry," he said, disappointed. Aeris shook her head. "It's your first time. You wanted to save me from having to make dinner, so you attempted to do it for me. I thank you for that. The thought is much more important than the taste," she said. "Yeah but...we're gonna go hungry," Cloud said. Aeris smiled. "Why don't you pop in a few TV dinners?" she asked. "But, you hate TV dinners," Cloud said. "I don't hate them, I just prefer to cook something that's not plastic," she said.

**XxXxXx**

Cloud settled into bed next to his wife. "I'm sorry, again," he said. Aeris looked over at him. "There is no need to apologize. I'm not explaining myself again," she said. "You ended up making dinner anyway," he pointed out. "It wasn't as strenuous. I'm glad you cooked dinner, anyway. It was...an adventure for you," she said, giggling. Cloud looked into her eyes. They made him throb in a certain place. He put his arms around her and pulled her close to him. "Yeah, I'd do anything...for you," he said, kissing her gently.

Aeris snuggled into him. "I'm glad you'd brave the dangers of our kitchen for me," she said, smiling. Cloud kissed her again, holding her so close her breath could be felt on his neck. Laying here with Aeris, feeling her warm skin brushing against his, her body making him warm and comfortable, was all he cared about. Her sweet, flowery scent was his ecstasy. Her bright eyes were his light. Her soft skin was his blanket. He never wanted moments like these to end. All he wanted was to lie there, without a care in the world, and just be with the woman he had been separated from so long ago.

**XxXxXx**

There you go another chapter. I'm in a hurry, but I'd like you to notice the contrast between the real world and the fantasy world. Quite a difference eh? Poor Tifa. Heehee, Cloud tried to cook...to no avail. Sorry, I'm not doing any lemons in this story, I'm not really in a lemon-writing mood. See you next chapter!


	8. Another One

**Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII.  
****Slight AU warning.  
****Don't forget to review when you are finished reading!**

**XXX**

Before you read: the days in Cloud's fantasy world go by much quicker than the real world. So, even though it's only been one day since the last chapter, it's been a month for Cloud.

**Flowers Growing In My Mind**

**_Chapter VIII – 'Another One'_**

It was close to Winter Giving Day. The crisp air outside blew past the window of the ranch home, sending the snow piled on the windowsill flying away into the white skies. The garden was bare, ready to show off its beauty come spring. The home was covered in multi-colored lights that were covered by the thinnest layer of snow. Inside, the holiday's festive tree was proudly displayed in front of a window, decorated with blue, green, and gold baubles. The top of the dark green tree was adorned with a beautiful silver angel.

Cloud rolled over in bed, clutching his pillow. He was worn out from decorating the outside of his home, and the overwhelming amount of present deliveries he had to make. The holidays were his best time of the year. He could rake in almost 10,000 gil from just one delivery. Aeris' nursery closed in the winter, so it was up to Cloud to make the money. Today, however, was Cloud's day off. He had turned off his office phones, and he was ready to relax, for the first time in a week. He snuggled further into his covers, savoring the warmth that surrounded him.

The lights in his room flicked on, and Cloud opened his eyes, only to hiss in pain as the light flooded his unadjusted eyes. When he was able to see again, Aeris was standing over him, wearing a white turtleneck sweater, and a long blue skirt. Her hair had been let down, and she looked as if she had been awake for hours. "Aeris, what're you doing..." Cloud asked, rolling over to bury his face into his pillow. "Cloud, I told you to get up a half-hour ago!" she scolded. "We have to go; we'll miss the ferry if we're late!"

Cloud yawned very loudly and turned. "Wha?" he asked, still half-asleep. "Cloud, the Valentines have come back from their vacation, we're going to go see them today, for a holiday visit. Didn't I tell you this?" she asked. Cloud barely remembered the conversation. He had been busy drowning himself in Aeris' homemade eggnog. "We're going to see Vincent _today_?" he asked. "I wanna sleep..." he moaned. Aeris wasn't listening to him, however. "We need to drive to Junon, then take the ferry to Costa Del Sol, then drive to Nibelheim. That's going to take us at least 5 hours," she said. _That's right...in the mansion in the middle of town...Lucrecia used to babysit Tifa and I when we were children. And...wait...was there anything else? _Cloud thought.

_Don't you remember?_

_Remember what?_

_There was someone else..._

_This is my world. I'd remember if there was someone else. I created it. But I do remember Aeris telling me about another one. Vincent, Lucrecia, and..._

_This one who is 'someone else', you will only remember when it wants you to remember. And once you do remember, this world will..._

_What?_

_...Aeris is calling you._

"Cloud, get dressed, quickly!"

**XxXxXx**

"They sure are taking their time getting ready," Reeve said irritably, watching the surgeons get their tools ready through the glass. Barret, Cid, and the newest arrival, Vincent, were sitting in the waiting chairs in the room, talking amongst themselves. Yuffie was leaning her head on Reeve's shoulder, tired. She had stayed with Tifa the whole previous night, comforting her friend and reassuring her that the surgery would go well. "We gotta tell the results later, to Red," Barret said. "It's fucking retarded, they won't let him in the hospital! Shiva, what the hell's he gonna do, give us rabies!" Cid ranted angrily. Vincent remained silent.

Tifa watched them prepare Cloud through the glass. So many thoughts were going through her head. Would Cloud make it through the surgery? Would Cloud be truly ok after he woke up? Would he have any lingering problems?

It didn't seem fair to Tifa. She felt like she wouldn't be able to live without Cloud, just like how Cloud couldn't live without Aeris. Yet, she was like the third wheel. She sacrificed her happiness and accepted Cloud's love for Aeris so many years ago, and she managed to work her way through it. However, it seemed like all those feelings were coming back. She loved Cloud more than anything in the world. Would she become like Cloud if he died? She honestly didn't know. She didn't want to find out, either.

"They're starting," Yuffie said. Tifa snapped out of her thoughts and looked down at the surgeons. "Cloud...don't leave me..."

**XxXxXx**

Cloud stared at the door to the Valentine Mansion, nearly falling asleep against the wood. "We could have just taken a plane from the Midgar Airport," he said. "That costs too much. We need to save our money. Besides, the scenery was beautiful, wasn't it?" she asked.

He shrugged and rang the doorbell. A few seconds later, an older woman opened the door. "Ah, Cloud, Aeris! So good to see you!" she said with a bright smile.

Lucrecia had long brown hair and bangs, done up in a bun wrapped in green ribbons. She wore a simple blue blouse and black trousers. She invited them into the beautifully furnished home, calling for her husband. "Vincent! They're here!" she said, going off into the kitchen. A few minutes later, Vincent appeared on the stairs. His black hair was cut short and neat, and was graying slightly. His eyes remained as blood-red as ever. He wore a suit with a red tie. He smiled at them as he descended the staircase. "Hello Vincent! It's good to see you again!" Aeris said.

As Cloud watched him draw closer to the stairs, he couldn't help but feel that Vincent looked strange. _That's odd...why do I feel like he looks different? _he thought. He had an image go through his mind, of a younger-looking Vincent with unkempt black hair, a black outfit, and a red cape, along with a clawed glove. _Why am I getting this vision in my head? Vincent never looked like that. He was always prim, proper..._

_You don't remember him looking like a bedraggled vampire?_

_No, he wasn't ever that pale. Perhaps I'm thinking of a Halloween costume?_

_So...it IS starting..._

_What is?_

_Soon, you will become part of this world. And then, you will be a part of it when the day comes._

_I am a part of this world already. And what day will come?_

_Answer me!_

"Cloud?" Aeris asked. Cloud looked at Aeris. "W-What?" he asked. "Lucrecia asked if you'd like some tea," she said. Lucrecia had reappeared in the room, holding a tray. "A-Ah, yes I would," he said. She smiled. "Then, come into the parlor with us," she said, carefully balancing the tray with her hands while walking towards another room. Vincent beckoned them and they followed.

The fireplace in the parlor was lit, illuminating the room with a warm, vibrant feeling as they all sat around a table, on comfortable couches.

"How is your nursery doing?" Lucrecia asked, handing Aeris a cup of mint tea. "Thank you. It's doing very well. It's closed for the winter, of course, but I made a huge profit with the tiger lilies," Aeris said. "That's good to hear. I told you those would sell the best," the older woman replied. "Now, this winter, you can finally get yourself some children," she said. Cloud swallowed half of his tea in one sip, eyes watering from the scalding pain. Aeris beamed. "Actually, I was thinking we could try that. We'll need to build a whole new room for the baby, however," she said. "A baby? But..." Cloud blushed. He never really thought of himself as the father figure. After all, he had always made Tifa take care of Marlene and Denzel. He paused at the thought.

_Who...are they?_

_You don't know Marlene and Denzel?_

_I've never heard of them. And why would Tifa be taking care of them?_

"I think having a child would be lovely. A daughter would be the best for your environment," Lucrecia said. "Yes, but I don't know what Cloud would want," Aeris pointed out. "Speaking of children..." Vincent began.

_Oh no..._

_What?_

_Do NOT finish that sentence, Vincent...please..._

"...aren't we going to someone's birthday tomorrow?" he asked.

_Whew..._

"I believe so," Lucrecia said. "Who is it?" Cloud asked. "I can't remember. So many people invite us to parties...for some foolish reason," Vincent said. "Because we're rich," Lucrecia corrected.

The door to the parlor room opened. Lucrecia turned her head. "Ah, there you are! You actually separated yourself from your books for once!" she giggled. "Sorry Mother," said a deep voice. Cloud looked over at the door.

_Oh no..._

_What?_

_It looks like they were too slow._

A man with long, silver hair was looking into the parlor with sharp green eyes. He wore a white blouse that was unbuttoned slightly, and blue jeans. "I was about to go and get you. You know you have to present yourself when we have guests, Sephiroth," he said.

_He is the other one! Why didn't I remember him?_

_I'm so embarrassed...I'm glad I didn't suggest they have children of their own._

_You...don't remember, do you?_

_I did remember. Sephiroth, Lucrecia's son with her ex-husband, Hojo._

_Cloud..._

_What?_

_I don't know if I can help you anymore._

**XxXxXx**

Everyone was stepping away from Cloud, taking off masks and washing bloody tools. It has been an agonizing six hours of surgery. Cid had fallen asleep. Barret was pacing around the room impatiently. Vincent had left the room countless times, only to come back in a few minutes later. Yuffie was also asleep, lying on the couch. Reeve was standing next to Tifa, who hadn't moved an inch since the surgery started.

However, they both turned when Dr. Kadowaki entered the room. Vincent shook Yuffie and Cid awake, and Barret stopped pacing. They all looked at him, expectant.

He looked at all of them, silent for a minute, before finally speaking.

"We couldn't find anything."

**XxXxXx**

Ooooh, cliffhanger. Ugh, I hated the way I wrote this chapter. I totally wasn't up to par. Man, I sucked. Well, this was more of a plot chapter anyway. As you can tell, Cloud is starting to lose his memory of the real world. There's also a special reason as to why he couldn't 'remember' that Sephiroth was in this world. And what's this? They couldn't find any Jenova cells? What is going on? Review please! Oh, and Winter Giving Day is Christmas. They don't have Christ in this world, so I changed it.


	9. The Music Box

**Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII.  
****Slight AU warning.  
****Don't forget to review when you are finished reading!**

**XXX**

**Flowers Growing In My Mind**

**_Chapter IX – The Music Box_**

Barret and Vincent had to restrain Tifa in order to keep her from lunging at the doctor in a fit of anger. She screamed, wriggled out of their grip, and punched a hole in the wall, widening it with each punch and kick. Her bare knuckles caught a metal frame and she felt a sharp jolt of pain in her hand. She fell to her knees, weakly pounding against the bottom wall. Tears fell down her face in waterfalls. Yuffie was staring up at the ceiling, trying not to cry. Cid was swearing under his breath, spitting his tobacco gum on the floor angrily. Reeve's forehead was resting against the glass, his eyes shielded by his arm. He tried to quell a sobbing gasp that was building up in his throat. Dr. Kadowaki was flipping through Cloud's clipboard.

"Tell us what happened." Vincent was the only one who seemed stoic and able to speak properly. The doctor nodded. "After drilling into his brain, we found no Jenova cells in any part of his cerebrum. If we went any farther, we risked paralyzing him. We checked for parasites and other brain diseases, but we found nothing. We even ran a scan over his entire body. He should be completely healthy."

Part of that made sense. Cloud experienced no symptoms of illness before he collapsed. He still had his injuries from fighting with the monsters, but they had done nothing but bruise his skin and cause blood clots to prevent him from bleeding out. He was healthy, sans the fact that he was in a coma. Yet, what was keeping him in the coma? Dr. Kadowaki could only speculate. "What do you plan to do next?" Vincent asked. The doctor wrote on the clipboard. "We're going to see if there's any way we can get him out of this coma without having to perform major surgery again. We might do a biopsy, to test his brain cells. That way, we can see what makes him run."

Reeve was helping Tifa up from her heap on the floor. She wiped her eyes. "Do whatever you can to wake him up. I don't care anymore." It was as if her heart was a broken record; it kept on breaking, then mending, and then breaking again. Marlene had suggested the church—she wasn't a religious person—but mentioning the church gave her an idea. Somewhere she _could _pray.

**XxXxXx**

The dinner table was filled with laughter. Vincent was telling his many stories of climbing up to the top of Shin-Ra's Scientific Department before his retirement, many of which were filled with laughter. Lucrecia would share embarrassing stories about Cloud's childhood to Aeris and Sephiroth, who break out into fits of laughter while Cloud slid down his chair, trying to hide himself. Aeris would contribute to 'making fun of Cloud time' by telling him of all the incidents he caused. Cloud would then counterattack with a story or two about Aeris, and she would talk about some of her less intelligent customers at the nursery.

Sephiroth was quiet, albeit very well-mannered. He listened and laughed, and would ask for the saltshaker instead of reaching over to get it, which Cloud always did. He never contributed to the storytelling however. He claimed to be more of a listener. Also, he said his life wasn't as interesting as theirs. Vincent dismissed this with a laugh. "I hardly think so, Sephiroth. You've had a great life, you just don't appreciate it."

Sephiroth shook his head. "I'm not good with stories anyway." Aeris sipped some of her wine. "That's quite alright, Sephiroth. People worry if their stories will be appreciated, and they don't want to risk embarrassment if their story isn't a hit," she said wisely. Sephiroth nodded. "That's correct." Aeris smiled. "Don't be afraid to tell us your little tales."

Sephiroth looked at Aeris for a minute, almost studying her. He blushed and looked away. "I think I'll just stay quiet." He took a large swig of wine. "Let's not get drunk here," Lucrecia said teasingly to her son. "Actually, we should refrain from drinking any more. The time is late and our favorite young couple must get back home to sober up," Vincent announced in an overdramatic loud voice. Sephiroth rolled his eyes at his stepfather and stood up. "I'll take the glasses." He gathered up the shining glasses and departed for the kitchen. Cloud watched Sephiroth leave. When Vincent talked like that, he felt slightly underclass. He had no time for a grudge, as the older man grasped his hand, shaking it. "I hope we can meet like this again. Perhaps my son will not be such a withdrawn turtle this time," he said with a laugh. "Um...yeah, hopefully not," Cloud said. "Before you leave however, the three of us want to show our holiday spirit. Lucrecia's getting it right now."

_They bought us something? Oh man, what if it was expensive? What am I supposed to give them back? _Cloud thought disparagingly. His thoughts were interrupted from the sound of opening doors. Lucrecia entered the room, holding a relatively medium-sized gift box in her hands. Sephiroth was standing behind her, and they all watched as Aeris undid the bow and removed the wrapping paper. She opened the top of the box and reached into it through wads of colorful tissue paper. When her hands reappeared, they were holding an ornate, white wooden box, patterned with sinuous lines of soft pink, silver, jade green, and azure blue.

"It's beautiful," Aeris said, gazing down at it. Cloud wasn't much for those kinds of words, but he had to agree. "Yeah...it is...wow." Lucrecia smiled. "You need to open it," she said.

Aeris did as she said. The inside was lined with black velvet. There was a smaller package in the compartment, and the figure of a dancer in a fancy white gown was centered on the raised part of the inside. Aeris took out the package, and Cloud took the box from her. _A music box._ His hand groped around the back of the box, until his fingers brushed against a cool wind-up. He twisted it twice, and the dancer began to spin around. The soft melody inside the box began to play. As the song entered his ears, he couldn't help but feel that he'd heard it somewhere before. It was a slow, soft melody, with fairly low notes at the start, then going perhaps an octave higher after a little while. He looked over at Aeris. She was holding up her hand towards the light of the chandelier, inspecting a light pink marble bracelet, the item inside the package.

"Isn't it pretty? Sephiroth bought that for you," Lucrecia said. Sephiroth was boring a hole into the wall. "Yeah..." he said quietly. Aeris giggled. "Thank you very much Sephiroth. It's lovely."

"Aeris, do you recognize this song?" Cloud asked, handing her the music box. "No, I can't say I do. Why, have you heard it before?" she asked, closing the box. "It just sounds familiar."

"We don't know the name of the song. We looked for a title, but it had none," Vincent said.

"I probably just heard it on the radio or something." Cloud didn't think it was important anyway. He stood up and checked the grandfather clock in the corner. They'd be getting home very late. "I think we should be going," he said. Aeris stood up along with Vincent. A hug and kiss on the hand were exchanged, and Aeris even managed an awkward hug out of Sephiroth. She replaced the music box inside of the box it had come in and final goodbyes were shared as they stepped out into the cold.

"That was a nice visit. Lucrecia's dinner was delicious!" Aeris was fond of her turkey. Cloud felt woozy. "I think you should drive home." He didn't want to risk crashing. Aeris smiled. "Don't drink so much next time," she said. Cloud shook his head. "I didn't drink more than a glass."

_You aren't drunk, Cloud._

_I know that. Am I sick?_

_...What about that melody? How do you remember it?_

_It's probably from the radio._

_Does it make you think of anything?_

**XxXxXx**

The road wasn't illuminated from the bright moon above. It was glowing from the pure silver trees lining the dark road. Tifa drove down it carefully, her gaze shifting to each tree as she passed by. The lake was coming into view now. She didn't know how late it was, but that didn't matter. She hadn't left the hospital in a long time. The outdoor air felt somewhat comforting against her dirty skin. Or perhaps it was where she was. She hadn't been to her best friend's grave in a long time.

She parked the car a respectful distance away from the shining waters and headed down towards it. The Forgotten City was a truly beautiful place indeed, but the memories it held made it painful to come back. Tifa sat down by the edge, gazing over the still waters. She thought back to when she came here for the first time. They were certain that Aeris would be safe, as long as they were close. She hadn't been on that altar, but she could see it clearly from her viewpoint—Cloud could have reached out and _touched _her. He was that close to her. And even then, Sephiroth still killed her. His sword was so long, it even passed by Cloud as it went through her torso. It took them all a second to register what had happened. That's when the pain, regret, guilt, sadness, and anger came all together, in this huge knot in her stomach, a huge confusing knot that all tried to come out together. She remembered her eyes remaining dry until she touched her. Her best friend, leaning against the wall, her head hanging forward. Tifa stroked her hair gently, and, smiling, removed her bangs from in front of her face. Seeing her closed eyelids and straight lips was what caused her tears to fall. Knowing that underneath those patches of skin were dead eyes that no longer shone like emerald stones. No more words would come from those soft lips. Her hands would no longer hand her healing ointments, or presents, or even dirty plates after dinner. Her legs would no longer be traveling alongside her. Nothing would happen anymore. It was this realization that tore her apart. Even still, she somehow had the will to wade into the lake after Cloud let Aeris sink, and let Cloud know it was time to leave.

Tifa was surprised she had never really thought about that night before. "Aeris..." she began, her words echoing off the trees and into the lake. "It's me, Tifa. Well, of course you'd recognize my voice," she said, chuckling at how stupid she had sounded. "Well, I don't know if you've been following what's been going on, but Cloud is in the hospital..." she felt a lump in her throat starting to grow. "And...he's not waking up...the doctor said it's Jenova cells...but the surgeons didn't find any...and I don't want him to stay in that coma forever..." She didn't know what Aeris would do to help, or even if she was listening, but she couldn't hold it in any longer. "I know he's still in love with you! He'll love you forever...you can't stop loving someone after they die...but...I know he loves me too. But...I thought it was in a romantic way...after your death, I tried to exploit that...without knowing his devotion to you," she said, a tear falling down her face. "I don't know if he was able to meet you, or find your Promised Land, but I can't stand the fact he's not moving on. I know he won't love me the same way he loves you, but I just want him to be happy! With _someone_. But...I don't want him to die while he feels so...alone...I wish...you'd just come back to us...so we can all be truly happy again."

With that, she buried her face in her knees and cried.

**XxXxXx**

"The holidays are approaching quickly," Aeris said, snuggled up next to Cloud. The music box was on Aeris' vanity, and her bracelet was safely tucked away inside of it. "Don't worry, I didn't forget to buy your present," Cloud said, turning to face her and smiling. "I wasn't worrying. Remember, we're spending the Eve with Zack and Tifa," she said.

_Right, that's going to be fun._

"And then your spring fishing trip is afterwards. A week where Tifa and I can have some girl time," Aeris said with a smile. "Stop thinking ahead, it makes it sound like you want to get rid of me," Cloud teased. Aeris kissed him on the cheek. "Never," she said. She turned the light off. "Goodnight, Cloud."

Cloud grabbed her and pulled her close. "Don't think you can just do that and expect me to not continue?" he asked, with a slight growl in his voice. Aeris giggled. "Oh, Cloud! This early?" Cloud smirked. "My drive is always running on full, if you get me," he said. They disappeared underneath the sheets. Needless to say, they had a hard time going to sleep.

**XxXxXx**

Cloud is such a teaser! XD the music in the music box will be revealed in later chapters. Man, I feel really bad for the gang; and Tifa especially. By the way, the talk Tifa had with 'Aeris' was very Anti-CloTi. It's actually a piece of what I believe Cloud and Tifa's relationship actually is. It's officially stated that he cares for both of them very much. I'm not the kind of person who has Cloud completely ignore Tifa because I'm a Cleris...I think Cloud and Tifa have a beautiful relationship of their own...just not the same Cloud and Aeris have. And besides, where is it stated that Cloud can't fall in love with a completely new person, and Tifa is the only other option? I want Cloud to fall in love again, but I don't believe it will ever be with Tifa. I'll stop ranting, besides only Cleris read this anyway, I think. Anyway, Sephiroth isn't really a suspicious character, but I just had to include him. He'll be of more importance in later chapters. As will the fishing trip! Um, I don't know how long this fic will run on for, I'm thinking in my head perhaps four or five more chapters. Oh, and any Naruto (Sakura x Itachi) fans reading this, I've got another fic that's centered around that coupling. Be ready for the next chapter!


	10. Marry Me, Dammit!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII.  
****Slight AU warning.  
****Don't forget to review when you are finished reading!**

**XXX**

**Flowers Growing In My Mind**

The Author Speaks: I forgot to mention that Winter's Giving Day is a combonation of Christmas/New Year's. It takes place on New Year's Eve and involved Christmas traditions.

**_Chapter X – Marry Me, Dammit! _**

Zack banged his wine glass on the table, laughing loudly. He wasn't drunk; he could hold his liquor well. It was a great evening. His and Tifa's shared home was warm with a crackling fireplace and filled with him, his love, and his two best friends. Cloud looked great in a blue suit and Aeris was lovely as always in a mint-green dress. Tifa stole the spotlight, however, in a black strapless dress that frilled out at the bottom. Not to mention it was quite short.

"The holiday is tomorrow, and presents shall be given out accordingly underneath the Giving Tree. I say we salute my dear friends Cloud Erwin Strife and Aeris Ifalna Gainsborough for coming to my delightful abode," he spoke, using a fork as a microphone.

Cloud narrowed his eyes. "I don't have a middle name."

"Erwin suits you!" Zack exclaimed.

"Speaking of Ifalna, how's your mother?" Tifa asked Aeris, who had just swallowed some of the bar owner's legendary chicken.

"She's fine. Father and she are at Cosmo Canyon. No matter what time of year it is, Father loves studying the Planet," Aeris replied.

"Gast is such a freak. I heard he's romantic though, and quite a smooth-talker. I should take some lessons from him," Zack joked, ducking as Tifa threw a spoon at him.

Cloud rolled his eyes and focused on his dinner. "Mom's probably lonely," he said, feeling guilty.

"If she wanted to spend time with you, she'd call. Don't feel bad. You're an adult, you got your own life," Zack said. It was harsh, but true.

**XxXxXx**

Aeris sat outside on the balcony of Zack and Tifa's home, staring up at the moon. It cast an ethereal glow upon the earth. She sipped her wine and felt someone embrace her from behind. She smiled.

"You doing okay?" Cloud asked her. He felt romantic.

"Yes, I'm fine. I was just watching the sky," she replied, putting down her wine glass and holding his arms. "They paint a picture, the stars. You can see almost anything in them. Faces, objects, animals...it's like a subjective painting."

Cloud gazed at the dark blue skies and at the white-silver stars decorating it. She was right. He pointed out a car, a cat, and the spelling of blue. Aeris giggled and said she found a flower, a lawnmower, and a ribbon.

"Yeah...it is subjective..." Cloud felt stupid again. He wasn't into big words.

"But that's the best thing. No one says anything bad about the stars. No one says that one's going to crash into us someday and kill everyone. They just...paint." Aeris turned around in Cloud's arms. "No one can say anything bad about you."

Cloud looked down at her and smiled. "Neither you."

They kissed underneath the watch of the moon until Zack yelled at them to come inside.

When they did, Zack and Tifa were plopped on the couch watching the Winter Giving ceremony which was taking place at Cosmo Canyon this year. "The Princess of Wutai, Yuffie Kisaragi, has come with her father, Godo Kisaragi, to see this delightful Midgarian event," the TV announcer droned.

"I think I saw Gast making out with Ifalna," Zack said seriously.

Aeris threw a pillow at him. "Just ew."

"How many minutes until the fireworks go off?" Cloud asked. That signaled the New Year, the end of the Eve, and the start of Day.

"Two minutes," Tifa said, eating a chip.

"Two minutes! Crap, now I gotta make this quick," Zack said. He pulled Tifa up off the couch and set her in front of the television.

"What are you doing?" Tifa asked.

"Shut up a minute! Let me think!" Zack snapped. "Oh right, I got it."

Cloud raised an eyebrow. _Got what?_

Zack cleared his throat. "You're an amazing woman. Funny, smart, and strong. Stereotypical though, you aren't. You've got this sort of weakness and need to be rescued. Which I love. And that's something I can give you. You love me, I love you, and it's been long enough."

"One minute until Giving Day!" the TV announcer exclaimed.

Zack glared at the TV. "I got to make this quick. Damn you!" he pulled out a small velvet box and got down on one knee.

Tifa's eyes widened. "Ah...Zack?"

He opened it to show a beautiful diamond ring, two emerald stones sandwiching the diamond on a ring of light gold. Tifa blushed madly.

"Tifa Lockhart, will you marry me?" he asked.

Aeris gasped and Cloud blinked. _Should I really be watching this? _he thought.

"Thirty seconds to go!" the TV shouted.

"I...well...I don't know what to say...I mean...so sudden..." Tifa could barely form a sentence.

"Just say yes or no, or even an 'I'll think about it'. I just love you that much," Zack said.

Aeris smiled and took Cloud's hand in her own. "Just like your proposal," she said to her husband, smiling.

"Yeah..." Cloud said. _That was the best day of my life. I remember, we..._

_You can't remember, can't you?_

"10 seconds!" the TV shouted.

Cloud tried to bring back the memory of that day. The problem was, everything was a big blank.

_No...I can't._

_You should consider the thought that it never happened._

"9"

_Of course it did. Leave me alone._

Zack smiled feebly up at Tifa, who bit her lip. "Ah...Zack, I..."

"8!"

"Here comes rejection," he said quietly.

"Zack, I love you too, very much," Tifa began.

"7!"

"And to have this happen to me, so suddenly..."

"6!"

"I've never been faced with the decision before, obviously."

"5!"

Zack could barely contain himself.

"4!"

"Please Tifa...give me something..."

"3!"

"I will Zack, I will."

"2!"

"In fact..." Tifa started again

"1!"

"Yes."

**XxXxXx**

Zack's face lit up as she took the ring and placed it on her finger. He stood up and Tifa threw herself into him, hugging him and kissing him as the fireworks on the TV began to set off.

"HAPPY GIVING DAY!" the crowd screamed.

Cloud smiled. _Happy day, indeed._

**XxXxXx**

A short, slightly filler chapter.I had to write a Zack/Tifa though, they're just too cute. It kinda sucked though I think. Anyway, yay Tifa and Zack are getting married! Oh, the whole fireworks thing was a bit of an allusion to the date scene in the game, when they had fireworks at the end and the music theme was _Interrupted By Fireworks. _

Next chapter – Zack and Cloud go on their fishing trip, and Cloud wants to catch a lot of fish for Aeris. Does he have skills?


	11. Fantasy Crumbles

**Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII.  
****Slight AU warning.  
****Don't forget to review when you are finished reading!**

**XXX**

**Flowers Growing In My Mind**

The Author Speaks: _Italicized lines _signifies thoughts. **_Bold italicized lines _**means flashbacks.

**_Chapter XI – Fantasy Crumbles _**

Zack shielded his eyes from the burning sun above, making sure not to slip and fall into the lake below. The white water gushed down the granite-colored rocks lining the rock walls. He squinted his blue irises to look for his blond friend, spotting him climbing down to the mainly placid lake, holding his fishing gear like a newborn baby.

Spring was a beautiful time of year in Midgar. It was always slightly cool and sunny, with flowers springing up faster than newborn animals. Springtime reminded Cloud of Aeris; vibrant, gentle, and always kind...with plenty of relaxing showers.

Zack caught up to his eager friend and huffed angrily. "Don't leave me behind!" he chastised. "The last thing I need is to get lost."

Cloud diverted his attention away from the lake. He snorted. "Like you're going to die with a fishing rod and plenty of food nearby."

It was mid-way through the fishing trip Zack and Cloud took, every year, to the lakes and cliffs near Gongaga. The time of year was perfect—plenty of river salmon and rainbow trout to be found. Aeris and Tifa both loved fish, and they were never disappointed when their respective others came back with coolers full of the juicy meat.

Cloud cast his line while Zack fiddled with his fishing rod. "You're really eager to catch something," Zack pointed out, smirking.

"I don't want to go back and give Aeris a cooler full of...ice," he replied.

Zack laughed. "You did that last year," he said.

"Shut up, or I'll use that on your finger as bait," Cloud threatened, pointing at the ring on Zack's finger.

The black-haired man looked down at the engagement ring on his finger. He smiled lightly. Finally, he had taken Cloud's advice and proposed to Tifa, and they were to be married in a few weeks. Cloud had even picked out his best man suit.

"I'm glad you finally sucked it up. Who would have thought that you'd be a sissy," Cloud said, feeling a tug on his line.

Zack pursed his lips. "Oh, shut up."

**XxXxXx**

Tifa only half-listened to Dr. Kadowaki give his report. "Nothing wrong with his brain cells...no Jenova detected...heart rate changes periodically..." It just didn't fit with what she wanted to hear. So, she didn't hear it. Obviously the doctor was incorrect. Who could she blame the problem on if she couldn't find anyone to blame?

"Miss Lockhart," the doctor repeated, observing the tired woman intently. She looked at him with hollow ruby eyes. He cringed slightly. "Do we have your permission?"

"Sure. What can I sign?" she asked in a monotone voice.

Vincent looked at his friend in surprise. "Tifa...do you really want them to perform another brain surgery on him?"

"Oh...yeah." Tifa wasn't paying attention.

"Alright, if you insist."

Vincent caught the doctor as he left the room. "Dr. Kadowaki, can you really trust Tifa's judgment? I think you should get her a room here so she can rest."

The good doctor sighed. "I agree with you. However, Tifa's his power of attorney. I can't violate that contract, you know I can't."

Vincent let him go. He turned and looked at Tifa. She was gazing absentmindedly at Cloud. It really was a circle, wasn't it? Aeris dies. Cloud suffers and loses his will to live. Cloud falls into a life-threatening coma. Tifa loses her own will to live. Cloud was probably content in his mind, within that fantasy world he erected. It seemed like if two people were happy within that triangle; one of them had to be miserable.

Apparently healing a heart died with Aeris.

**XxXxXx**

Zack ogled the pile of fish Cloud had thrown into his icebox. "How did you catch so many fish? What have you been doing on your days off?" he asked.

Cloud shrugged. "Not fishing, that's for sure," he said, surprised at his own talent.

"Well hotshot, cuz you're the one catching all of them you're forking two over for dinner," Zack appealed.

"Sure," Cloud said, grinning and handing him two large fish.

As Zack cooked the fish, the blond found himself lost in thought.

_How did I learn to catch fish like that?_

_...You don't remember?_

_Vaguely._

_**Tifa threw her huge hair behind her shoulder and she fell upon the grass, soaking up the sun with a content look on her face. She pulled her skirt down slightly. "Nothing beats the nice hot sun. I haven't seen that baby in forever," she sighed.**_

_**Barret harrumphed. "Them Shin-Ra bastards're the reason we haven't seen the sun in so long, Tifa! Damn I wanna punch their pretty little faces in." **_

_**Aeris laughed. "Let's relax for a little while. Those mines were a killer. I can't reach my materias' magic anymore."**_

_**Tifa rummaged through their supplies. "We have...a lot of microwave dinners. But...no microwave. Barret! Why did you pack these?"**_

**_RedXIII sniffed the ground. "I suggest we find another means of nourishment. I very well don't want to eat frozen uncooked meat."_**

_**Cloud looked behind him. Fort Condor was at least an hour away...why hadn't they stopped there when they had the chance? He looked at the ocean in front of him. "Fish or something," he said dismissively.**_

"**_...Damn, that's a good idea! The first thing spiky says in a day is a smart thing! Looks like you white people got brains after all," Barret said with a laugh. "Alright, we have a fishing rod?"_**

"_**We packed a few, yeah," Tifa said, checking.**_

**_RedXIII stretched out. "I can catch them with my jaws. I will be of use."_**

"_**Let's take the bucket and go! I'm starvin'," Barret said.**_

_**Barret, Tifa, and RedXIII all headed towards the ocean front. Cloud sat there, not wanting to go. **_

_**Aeris appeared in front of him, blocking out the sun with her pretty face. She smiled at him. "Just going to sit here?"**_

"_**...I can't fish," Cloud said lamely.**_

_**She put her hands behind her back and leaned forward; Cloud found that quite cute, though he would never let that word leave his mouth. "You shouldn't be such a stranger. You don't talk to anyone but me."**_

"_**...I don't like talking."**_

"_**You're such a pessimist! Here, I don't know how to fish either. I've been stuck in either Shin-Ra's labs or Midgar my whole life. So, this is a new experience for me too." She held out her hand. "Let's learn it together."**_

_**Cloud hesitated for a moment. He found himself unable to say no to her. "Fine," he answered, "but only for a few minutes."**_

_**He took her hand.**_

Cloud's eyes widened._ Am I on drugs?_

_What makes you say that?_

_Everyone looked so different...Barret was there. Barret Wallace, the oil monger! And RedXIII...I don't even know who that is! Even though I feel like I do._

_Either that memory means you're going back to normal, or you're getting worse._

Cloud tried to shake it from his mind as he ate his dinner quietly. Zack filled the silence with his own babbling: complaints about work, excitement about the marriage, and so much more Cloud's mind didn't imbibe.

The sun was beginning to set now, the horizon bumpy from the mountains and painted pink. Zack was attempting to catch a particularly stubborn cherry salmon, while Cloud changed a broken hook on his rod.

He heard a twig snap, and his head snapped up, expecting to see Zack approaching him. The black-haired man was still sitting at the bank, cursing while moving his rod around wildly. Cloud turned his head and made out two figures in the backdrop of the forest. He brushed back his blond spikes and walked past their tent to where he saw the figures. They were gone. He walked around the forest area, looking around. _I think I'm going crazy, _he thought. He stepped on something hard, and suddenly a trap sprung up, a claw that snapped and caught his shoe. He swore loudly and jumped up, falling to the ground.

"What the hell?!" he gasped, his heart beating wildly. The sound of crunching leaves grew louder as Zack ran to see what had happened.

"Cloud, what's wro—holy shit!" he gasped, noticing the trap hanging onto Cloud's shoe. He managed to get it out and handed it to the bewildered man. "Some idiots are poaching! Stupid morons, don't they know this is a popular camp spot?" Zack looked livid.

Cloud shook his head. "I don't think they care. I saw two people over here so I went to check it out."

"Idiots, can't they see the car and the tent?" Zack wondered out loud.

He grabbed Cloud's hand and led him further into the forest. Cloud tried to wriggle out of his grasp. "It's not that big a deal," the blond said.

"I don't think so! We need to stop them; what if your foot had gotten caught in it?" Zack asked bitterly.

They trekked through the foliage for about ten minutes when they finally found the poachers. Two gruff men were setting up a net trap on a tree.

"Hey!" Zack called out to them, putting his hands on his hips. "We'd like a word!"

Cloud's cheeks flushed with embarrassment. Zack always made such a big deal over things.

The men turned towards Zack. When he was satisfied they'd hear him, he began again. "You guys are setting up traps in a campsite area. My friend over here nearly got iron spikes in his foot thanks to you!"

They exchanged glances with each other, and from the glint in their eyes, Cloud knew something was wrong.

"Zack..."

"All I'm saying is that you could go do that somewhere else! This is a fishing area!" Zack rambled on. "I'm sure you guys take pride in your hunting, but seriously think o—"

He never got to finish his sentence. One of the poachers took out a gun and emptied it into the engaged man, all within seconds.

Cloud's eyes widened as the poachers ran off. Zack's mouth hung open in surprise. He twitched and fell, his eyes glazing over. He was dead before he hit the ground.

Cloud collapsed at his side, shaken and surprised. "Zack..." he murmured quietly. He felt his pants soak up something, and to his horror, it was Zack's blood that was oozing out of the many holes in his body.

His eyes widened and he began to shake. Something about this situation seemed so familiar, and horrible.

_**Cloud saw daylight for the first time in a long time. His vision returned to normal and his senses came back to him. He began to comprehend things, and it felt wonderful.**_

_**He was on a forest floor, and his best friend Zack was going over to him, sighing. "I dropped you again. You're heavy, you know th--"**_

_**He paused and his eyes widened. He backed up. "Cloud, run!" he yelled.**_

'_**Run...why...?' Cloud thought. A gunshot pierced the air and Zack went flying, hitting the ground out of his sight.**_

_**Cloud's eyes widened as SOLDIERS ran past him and at Zack. He turned his head, his first real movement in a few years, just to see a man stand over his already dead body and shoot all of his rounds into him.**_

Cloud screamed, in terror and in anger. He stood up and ran as quickly as possible through the forest. "YOU SONS OF BITCHES! HE WAS ENGAGED! HOW COULD YOU!"

He ran until the trees were far behind him. So far behind...

The sky had changed. It was growing grey, with black clouds floating above. There was a flash of red, and soon the world all around Cloud changed. His eyes widened, and he remembered.

_Gongaga was in an explosion._

He heard an explosion come from the direction of the quiet forest town.

_Mideel was destroyed by Weapon and the Lifestream._

In Mideel, citizens were interrupted by the sight of green water gushing up from the cracks of the earth, and a loud roar pierced the air as an earthquake began to shake the town.

_Cid...my friend...never became an astronaut. The launch failed._

A rocket came falling out of the sky, crashing straight down into the launch pad of Rocket Town and tilting.

_The Ancients all died..._

All around the world, Ancients suddenly grew terribly ill, mutating into monsters and attacking all around them.

_Shin-Ra destroyed so many places._

Planes, tanks, and bombs began to leave the Shin-Ra building as a maniacal President Shin-Ra stood laughing in his office.

_Midgar..._

A plate suddenly appeared all around Midgar, trapping people below as their houses fell apart. Water systems failed, grass died, and mako-polluted air began to engulf the ones underneath the plate.

_...Meteor._

Cloud stared up at the sky. Two meteors appeared. One crashed down in the far north. Another loomed closer and closer, its ominous presence nearly driving him to tears.

He remembered. This world wasn't his reality. It was his mind, a fantasy place built to protect him from the real world. Except, his reality and his fantasy were colliding together.

_My fantasy is...becoming my nightmare..._

**XxXxXx**

"Let me see him!" Tifa screamed, trying to kick the five doctors who were holding her down out of the way.

"We can't! You'll get in the way!" one of the nurses shouted, getting thrown into a wall.

Vincent appeared behind Tifa and stabbed a tranquilizer into her neck. She yelled and collapsed to the ground.

"What th' hell'd you do that for?!" Barret yelled at the undead man.

"She is now suffering from Sadness. Nothing a little hyper won't cure," Vincent said.

Cold sweat began to form on Tifa's brow, and her temperature dropped harshly. Reeve picked her up and put her in an empty room while doctors and nurses rushed to see what was happening with Cloud.

They were in the waiting room when out of the blue Cloud began to thrash in his bed, screaming. His heart rate sped up significantly, whereupon Dr. Kadowaki and his assistants rushed into the room for immediate attention.

"He's still in a coma! How is he doing this?!" one of the assistants cried.

"We can figure that out later! Did you administer the Remedy?" asked the doctor.

"Yes; it's having no effect!"

"Dammit! How could we have missed something?!"

**XxXxXx**

Cloud had stolen an emergency plane from Gongaga and was flying as fast as possible without overheating the engine towards his home. It seemed so far away, and it had been two hours since he had gotten on the plane. Two hours of agony, thinking of Zack and Aeris and everyone. He had messages on his phone through the roof.

"_Cloud! Vincent...he's dead! Hojo just came into our home and shot him! And Sephiroth's gone crazy! He took our family's heirloom, Masamune, and took off! What's going on?"_ Lucrecia had cried.

"_Midgar's suddenly changed! Cloud, Shin-Ra's attacking everyone! There's a war in Wutai! Where's Zack? I need to talk to him!" _Tifa said through tears.

The only person who hadn't left him a message was Aeris. He found their house and was relieved to see it was still standing. He landed and ran into it, bypassing the dead garden, yelling for his wife. "Aeris! Where are you? AERIS!"

He threw open every door and looked everywhere, finally going outside. She was kneeling in their backyard, not to far from the edge of the cliff, seemingly praying. Everything was so brown and rocky, but she let off a comfortable light.

She looked up at him and smiled. "Cloud, I knew you'd come home."

"Don't you see what's happened here? Everything's in pandemonium! We have to go!" Cloud was hysterical.

She didn't move. "I think you're overreacting."

"No I'm not. Aeris, get out of that position and COME WITH ME!" Cloud screamed. "Before Sephiroth comes!"

"Sephiroth?" Aeris asked.

Said man appeared behind her, Masamune drawn. Cloud shouted for her. "NO! AERIS!"

_NOT AGAIN!_

Sephiroth pierced her body through with the long sword.

**XxXxXx**

Cloud let out a loud scream and nearly punched a nurse, his eyes still closed. Dr. Kadowaki ordered them to put him under restraints. Never before had he seen such a case in his life.

A loud crash indicated Tifa had recovered. She burst into the room, trying to get at Cloud. Vincent, Barret, and Yuffie tried to calm her down, holding her as hard as they could.

"CLOUD! WAKE UP, PLEASE!" Tifa yelled.

"Shut up! They can't do their work!" Yuffie pleaded.

"GET OFF ME!"

**XxXxXx**

Cloud ran forward, grabbing Aeris before she hit the ground.

_**She was just alive, just a minute ago. She was smiling at him, saying everything would be fine...and now she was dead in his arms. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. DEAD!**_

His eyes began to burn.

"_**My hands are shaking! My eyes are burning!" Cloud said, his voice choked with sobs.**_

His heart plunged into emptiness. She was gone. He had a second chance, and he ruined it again.

"_**Aeris is gone. Aeris will no longer talk, no longer laugh, cry...or get angry..." Cloud's chest was tightening. He felt like he couldn't breathe. All of those happy memories with Aeris rushed through his head like a black-and-white movie on fast forward.**_

"I'm sorry..." Cloud couldn't hold back his tears, as they free-fell onto her face.

**You idiot.**

_LEAVE ME ALONE, GOD DAMMIT! She's gone again! AGAIN! WHY DOES THIS HAPPEN TO ME!_

**It happens to you because...**

"You're a walking tragedy. A human piece of garbage who feel sorry for himself all day."

**...because you're human.**

Cloud nearly had a heart attack. Aeris was looking up at him, smiling. Only, the smile was twisted, evil. It didn't suit her innocent face.

"Wh-What did you say?" Cloud whispered to the flower girl.

Aeris stood up, laughing maniacally. "You were fooled, you idiot! Don't think you can take the easy way out of life!"

She began to glow a pale green. "I thought I could live on inside of you and infect your friends, so I could spread and live again!"

"Aeris?"

"But that Cetra bitch purified all of you! I couldn't so much as touch that fighter-friend of yours without burning. So, I decided on a different approach. I reproduce inside of you, with your own brain cells."

_That's...not her. Aeris isn't so...evil._

**Finally you figure it out.**

"But your inner-conscious...that annoying voice that talks to you like another person...was your shield. So I had to lower its defenses by making you feel safe and happy within your own mind. I built this dream world of yours, and your brain became unshielded as you forgot what happened in your past and thought that you were all safe and snuggly within this place," Aeris said. Her voice was mutated, showing like two different voices combined.

**Yes, and I couldn't stop you after a certain point.**

"Exactly! And I've succeeded! The doctors couldn't find any Jenova cells within you because there was only one in your body...that was disguised as a brain cell! But if they drilled into your head now, they'd find all of me crawling everywhere. I've taken over your brain, and I can now attach myself to those doctors," Aeris said with a smirk. Her body was changing. She was now half of a long-haired, blue-skinned woman with a sort of mask over her eyes.

"Jenova..." Cloud said in horror.

"So I don't need you anymore! And it took too much of my energy to maintain this world, so it's now crumbling all around you," a full Jenova said, smirking.

Cloud's eyes widened as Sephiroth appeared in front of him, blood-soaked sword in hand.

**XxXxXx**

Tifa threw herself onto Cloud, who had ceased thrashing. His heart monitor was beating off the charts. "Cloud, no! Please, stay with me! Calm down!"

**XxXxXx**

Cloud felt pain rip through his body as Sephiroth stabbed him straight through the heart. His world suddenly fell around him as he fell to the dead ground, his vision blurring. Jenova laughed in amusement while Shin-Ra fighter planes flew overhead, heading towards Corel Town.

_I...can't move...so this is...how it ends...Aeris...I'm a fool...forgive me._

A single tear trickled down Cloud's cheek as his vision left him.

**XxXxXx**

Everyone in the hospital room and in the doorway froze. Tifa, who was tugging at Cloud's sheets, felt her arms lose strength. For a moment, she feel emotionless as a single sound permeated the air.

BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP.

**XxXxXx**

Yeah...climactic...

Review please! It's not the end yet!

Also, I suggest you check out my new Cloud/Aeris fanfiction. It's called _Eden's Respite _and it's a total AU, but I still urge to read and review it.


	12. Angel

**Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII.  
****Slight AU warning.  
****Don't forget to review when you are finished reading!**

**XXX**

**Flowers Growing In My Mind**

The Author Speaks: _Italicized lines _signifies words of the undetectable voice. **_Bold italicized lines _**means flashbacks. **Bolded lines **signifies Jenova's words.

**_Chapter XII – Angel _**

_It's so dark..._

_Can you still hear me?_

_Who is that? Your voice is so familiar..._

_It should be, you idiot. _

A melody was playing in the invisible background, a soft, sweet melody that used to come from the music box Cloud had received from the holidays. In this fantasy world...nothing was left. Everything had been destroyed. The reality was trying to combine with fantasy and his brain couldn't take it.

**I've won, Cloud Strife. Thousands of years of near-extinction, and finally I found the perfect puppet. You may have become dependant of your strings for a few years, but that means nothing. In the end, you go back to your master.**

_Jenova, you bitch..._

**So rude for a filthy dog to be saying. You! **Jenova had addressed the other, familiar yet strange voice Cloud could hear. **Stop that melody!**

_Come on, dorkface. This melody you've heard plenty of times._

_...The bar...Seventh Heaven, Tifa had this record that played it. It always reminded me of her. _Cloud couldn't believe he had forgotten such an important song.

**Do you want to see, Cloud? Hmm, do you want to see me, your destroyer? You're dead, and I can trap yourself in your own soul, going through this torture for eternity, until I transfer. Which will be soon...**

Cloud opened his eyes. Jenova was standing in front of him. He was surrounding by black, and he couldn't see himself or anything else anywhere, except for the disgusting virus in a grotesque female form.

It reached out and stroked his cheek. "**Such a handsome man, yet so weak inside. It's delicious**," it said with a sick grin.

Cloud couldn't bat its hand away. He couldn't move or even find his limbs amidst all the darkness.

_Jenova, you're a sick fuck you know that?_

**Oh, dear boy, I know.**

Cloud wondered about death. He was in the realm, and there was no way to get out. He shouldn't struggle against the inevitable. He had already lost his will once, and it went away once again. Aeris would be lonely without him anyway, but he was never the suicide type.

His thoughts reverberated through the walls around him. The undetectable voice growled.

_I swear to Shiva, you are even more difficult than you were back then._

**XxXxXx**

"Wake up you son of a BITCH! WAKE UP!" Tifa screamed, shaking Cloud.

"Miss Lockhart, _move_!" Dr. Kadowaki ordered sharply, the assistants quickly preparing Lightning materia-charged defibrillator.

"PLEASE! CLOUD!"

So many things were going on at once. The air was thick with tension and Tifa's screaming. Her friends were waiting with bated breath outside of the hospital room. Vincent threw open the door, tired of watching the brunette inadvertently prevent the doctors from helping in Cloud's resuscitation.

She kicked and screamed, trying to bite Vincent's hand, but he held on firmly, locking her in a tight hold against himself. "You're killing him quicker," he hissed into her ear, and she was suddenly limp, staring at Cloud with ruby eyes full of disbelief.

They watched as Cloud's heart was shocked, several times, each time producing no response. The hum of the flat-lined machine pierced through Tifa's brain, causing an indescribable pain as she watched them try to bring the man she loved back to life.

**XxXxXx**

_We're getting nowhere. _The voice sounded irritated. _I can hear that thing. You aren't trying, are you?_

Cloud shook his head. "Death is my release...Jenova is granting me a freedom that I should've taken from the start."

Jenova smiled. Suddenly, memories began to play in front of him, like a television screen.

_**Her smile perforated his thoughts. He had missed it so much. And, what was more, she was alright.**_

_**Aeris was kneeling in prayer, deep prayer that she had just finished. Her sparkling eyes bore into his with happiness. His straitlaced lips did not move, but on the inside he was smiling.**_

"**_I knew you'd come," she told him in her sweet, gentle voice. "You see? Everything's going to be alright."_**

_**He was silent. He couldn't think of what to say, or do. He had half a mind to wrap himself around her, or just say hello...he could feel the warmth of his friend's smiles close by. Everyone was back together again. And everything was going to be alright.**_

Cloud knew what was coming. Despite that, the feelings he had back then came back to life. His relief and happiness...

_**Cloud felt something close by, yet he disregarded it. It wasn't important.**_

"_**I knew we'd see each other ag—" Suddenly, she paused. Someone had appeared behind her. She turned her head, and that's when the sword went through her.**_

_**It all happened in a few seconds. The Masamune pierced her heart, and she fell forward, gasping. Cloud's relief lingered, and then transmuted into realization and horror. His stomach began to twist into knots, and when he looked up at a smirking Sephiroth, his eyes sent an amused glance at him before pulling the sword out of Aeris. Her upper body flew up, almost gracefully, and her hair tie ripped open, undoing her ponytail. The green materia in her hair fell, and she fell.**_

"_**Cloud..." she whispered.**_

"**_No!" Cloud screamed, dropping his sword and running forward, stooping and catching Aeris._**

_**It was too late. She was dead before he caught her. Her eyes were closed and her pink lips loosely closed. Cloud didn't know what to feel. He was completely numb.**_

Cloud shook his head, close to crying. Jenova was wrapping itself around him, almost teasingly.

**Do you want to see more?**

Cloud nodded silently. "This is my reason for welcoming death."

"_**Aeris," he said in a monotone. He shook her gently, and she did not respond. His emotions were like roulette. He went from numb to denial and misery. **_

"_**This can't be real!" he yelled.**_

**_Sephiroth, who had been watching them almost casually, chuckled. "Do not worry. Soon the girl will become part of the Planet's energy. All that is left is to go North. The 'Promised Land' waits for me over the snowy fields. There I will become a new being by uniting with the planet. As will this girl..."_**

**_Cloud didn't care what he was saying. All he could think of was the woman now lying dead in his arms. A bright, happy young woman whom he loved so much. The first real person he trusted. The only one who could make him smile and laugh._**

**_And Sephiroth, that fucking BASTARD, had the nerve to talk about his plans. Nonchalantly. He referred to Aeris as 'this girl'. He didn't even know her fucking name. And he fucking KILLED her! Killed her so easily, taking away a life like he had the right, the right to decide Cloud's misery and happiness._**

"_**Shut up," he said. Thinking of Sephiroth filled him with pure hatred.**_

_**Sephiroth paused, and looked at Cloud almost amusingly.**_

"**_The cycle of nature and your stupid plan don't mean a thing," he said in a deathly quiet voice. _**

_**His heart ripped open. "Aeris is gone."**_

_**He felt his eyes start to burn, and a lump formed in his throat. "Aeris will no longer talk, no longer laugh, cry...or get angry..."**_

_**His voice grew heavier with each word. He could hear her laughter, her voice, her tears and her angered shouts in his mind. And now, her lips were frozen forever, to move nevermore.**_

"_**What about us..." he didn't mean him and his friends. He wasn't even thinking of them. They didn't matter right now. Nothing but this beautiful woman mattered. This dead flower. "What are WE supposed to do?"**_

_**They had made so many plans. He had promised her a ride on an airship. Now, that was never possible. He went with her on a date, and they had the most wonderful time. Aeris promised to become his lover after they saved the Planet. Aeris talked about buying the house in Costa Del Sol, just for them. She wanted to laugh about all their memories, everything they had done. She couldn't anymore. Her brain locked everything away, too far for her to reach.**_

"_**What about my pain?" Cloud questioned him, his voice a dull roar. He had never felt so horrible in his life.**_

_**He felt her blood on his hands. Her fucking blood on his goddamn HANDS. "My fingers are tingling. My mouth is dry. My eyes are burning!"**_

_**He held her close to him, in a desperate attempt to comfort her body. Tears slipped out his azure eyes and he wanted to die. He just wanted to die, end it all, and lie next to her forever.**_

"Stop!" Cloud yelled, crumpling to the ground, shaking. He held himself and cried.

Jenova watched him, fascinated. **It's amazing how humans can keep themselves so attached to a memory for so long.**

_Cloud! Stop thinking of her in such a sad light! What about all of the good times?_

"I can't anymore! Everything is attached to her death. I can't. I just..." Cloud rubbed his eyes. "I'm too weak to fight away the pain."

_Then turn the pain into acceptance. You'll never be with her. You have to learn to live without her. You know she can only see you when you can open yourself up._

**Don't listen to the fool! If you wake up, you'll be back in that misery you call a life!**

Cloud thought. He thought for a long, long time. He was silent, and thought.

"Death..."

_**Aeris smiled at him. "Let's be sure to make some good memories, together. Even when we're in the Lifestream."**_

"Life..."

_**Tifa broke a dish and cursed loudly. Denzel gawked at her and Marlene giggled. Cloud didn't understand why it was so funny.**_

"Death..."

"_**The Promised Land, just for the two of us. Together forever. That's true devotion, isn't it?" Aeris asked him.**_

"Life..."

"_**I'm tellin' you foo' this goddamn oil deal aint gonna be easy that's fo' sure!" Barret exclaimed, slapping down his paper. "Damn limited supply. Even more than the Lifestream."**_

_**Cloud stared out at the church. Why was he listening to something he didn't care about?**_

"Death..."

_**Zack watched him running from a couple of Bombs. He laughed hardily and sent some ice magic at them, sending them away. "For a new guy, you're more amusing than I thought. Don't worry, next time I'm sure you'll remember that you've got materia in your pocket."**_

"Life..."

"_**The Forgotten City is beautiful," Vincent said in his deep voice.**_

"_**...I hate it."**_

"_**Because of the memories?"**_

"_**..."**_

"Death..."

_**Aeris was sitting in a vast field, picking flowers. "I think they compliment these small ones nicely. Let's make a basket together, okay?"**_

"Death seems so much more rewarding." Cloud felt Jenova on him, hissing in excitement.

_No! Please, don't do it! For pete's sake, you aren't stupid! Think of what Aeris would want!_

"Aeris is DEAD! She can't think of anything!" Cloud yelled.

**That's right. Let me kill you.**

Jenova's silky hands snaked around Cloud's chest. It opened it's mouth, ready to bite down on him and extinguish his wounded flame.

_Cloud, listen to me! _

The voice changed, and Cloud's eyes widened. Suddenly, the black was thrown away as light began to stream. It was almost blinding, and comforting.

Jenova backed away from Cloud, growling. "What is this?!"

_You can't bind her away forever! _

"No...you...you bitch!" Jenova yelled, falling, its hideous blue skin beginning to swell and burn up. It clawed the white background angrily. "Stop this!"

Cloud stared at Jenova was burned away, screaming and hissing the entire time. The light was warm, and he felt like he could sink into it.

He turned, and saw a separate light shining. It was pink-hued. His eyes widened as he saw an angel, with humongous white pearly wings outstretched.

And a pink dress.

"A-Aeris?"

She smiled. "It's time for you to go back home. Everyone's waiting."

She floated towards him, arms open wide. Cloud's eyes blurred with tears and she grew nearer, sinking into him with her ghostly lips pressed against his.

"You're forgiven..."

**XxXxXx**

"What are you doing? Shock him again! He's still...do it again!" Tifa ordered angrily.

The doctors worked silently, not wanting to break the news to her. They positioned Cloud underneath the blanket, and Dr. Kadowaki took the clipboard.

"Tifa, he's...gone."

Tifa knew that. But she didn't _want _to know that. She didn't acknowledge it. "Shut up! He's not!"

He didn't look distraught. He looked asleep, peaceful and happy. Tifa sank to her knees by his side. She began to cry, tears pouring down her cheeks. Her friends piled into the room; Yuffie bawling, while Reeve cried silently. Barret could barely hold it in, and Cid leaned against the wall, shielding his face. Red XIII howled in a sepulchral tone, and Vincent did not cry, but felt horrible. Another friend, another loved one gone.

Dr. Kadowaki nearly cried himself. He had seen how dedicated Cloud's friends were to him, always being there for him and going through everything together. Their bond was strong, and yet could crumble so easily.

He got out a pen and began to scribble on the clipboard. "Time of death, seven forty-two pm, date..."

Cloud's eyes opened silently. He was met with a bright light shining above, and for a minute he thought he was in heaven. He soon came to realize he was staring up at a hospital ceiling.

So, he was back in reality. His heart sank, and then resurfaced quickly. He didn't realize how much he had missed his friends.

The angelic Aeris was fresh in his mind. Her conscience personified had evolved, into his full guardian angel...and the voice that was so familiar, Zack, his bodyguard.

He turned his head. All of his friends were crying by his bedside. He suddenly felt very guilty about making them feel miserable. A familiar thick head of brown hair was weeping on his mattress.

"Tifa," he spoke quietly, pleasured at hearing his real voice.

She hiccupped. "What?!" she snapped, looking up. She hadn't meant Cloud, of course. But seeing his watery eyes watching her was a welcome sight. She gasped loudly. "CLOUD!"

He smirked weakly. "Hi."

Dr. Kadowaki nearly dropped his clipboard. "How is that possible?"

"Cloud!" Barret exclaimed happily. "Ya bastard, I knew they couldn't keep yo' head in da grave!"

"...Shit," Cid said, "you made me cry for nothing." He lit a cigarette. "Now I can finally relieve myself."

Cloud chuckled. "Did you all miss me?"

Tifa threw herself onto him. "I hate you so much! I've been worried sick for months! You bastard, how dare you make me feel so miserable!"

Cloud winced. "Tifa, you're going to crush me."

"Ooh...you!"

Cloud didn't understand why he had been so depressed before. Why had he wanted death? Life, he had a chance to make it all right. His friends hadn't abandoned him, and he felt stupid for thinking about abandoning them.

He hugged Tifa, and laughed for the first time in years.

He had never been so happy to be alive.

**XxXxXx**

_Six months later..._

Aeris twirled a yellow flower in her fingers, whistling. "It's amazing how long it took you to arrive."

Her black-haired ex stuck his tongue out at her. "Excuse me for getting on the wrong current," he said, falling back onto the field surrounding him. "Doesn't the landscape get boring?"

"Not at all. I think I should find different kinds of flowers though. Make a huge garden!" Aeris squealed in a fangirl voice.

Zack rolled his eyes. "Kill me now."

"Hasn't that already been done?" Aeris asked innocently.

"Thanks. Boost up my self-esteem." He stood up. "I hear something."

"That must be Cloud! It's been ages since he's visited me," Aeris sounded very happy, although Zack couldn't fathom why.

"That's how a motorcycle sounds? It's very loud and choppy then." Zack squinted, trying to make out the black shape in the distance. Or, shapes. "Hey, there's more than one vehicle coming this way."

Aeris clapped her hands together. "Cloud must have brought my friends! He's never done that before." She smiled. "He's finally happy. That's why he doesn't have to come and see me as much. I'm more like someone who's moved away now...we keep in touch, but he moves on."

"Cloud can bring other people to his Promised Land? That's kinda weird."

"It can be done. They have connections to me, remember?"

"Well, I don't wanna interrupt your party, so I'll go," Zack said, turning.

He felt a tug on his arm. Aeris was holding it, dragging him towards the approaching vehicles. "I don't think so!"

"Hey, come on! I'm shy with girls!" he exclaimed in a whiny voice.

"Yeah, of course you are!"

"Oh man, Aeris!"

"Come on, there's this girl named Tifa I know you'll like!"

She laughed and she let go of his hand, running to meet her friends. The sun shone overhead while birds flapped over the expansive seas. The lazy clouds and the cotton skies were not a figment in a dream. No, they were real. And they were beautiful.

**XxXxXx**

My first completed full fanfic! I feel really happy, and I'd like to say thanks to the creators of and _Final Fantasy VII._ Also, I want to thank my fans who enjoyed reading this fic, and who supported me the whole way. I might put up that Cloud/Aeris story I took down, _Eden's Respite,_ but not for a while. I'm planning on an AU Cloud/Aeris fic that I want you all to read when I get it up!

In the meantime, stay sharp and good company!

Until next fic,

JadeCrescent Fallen


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